Welcome to the Black Eagles
by Locolo
Summary: Upon saving the three students from a bandit attack, Jeralt is being offered a teaching position at the Officers Academy, unwillingly putting Byleth into the position of a new student as well. Having led his entire life as a simple mercenary before, how will Byleth handle being part of the students of the Black Eagles?
1. Fated Encounter

_"What could have brought you here?" _

A voice… it was familiar to him…

He slightly opened his eyes to adjust to his surroundings, only to find out that an empty void was everything that surrounded him. At least until his eyes fell upon the glowing throne that seemed to levitate in front of him, the familiar green haired girl sitting on top of it with her head casually resting on her hand, regarding him with a curious gaze.

He had seen her before, in another dream… and here she was again. Who was she?

"Who are you…?", his voice rang out into the blackness, causing the girl to grin and sit up straight as she seemingly regarded him with more interest now.

"I… am Sothis. Yes… I believe so.", suddenly her expression turned thoughtful, her gaze lingering on the ground as she was in thought. This didn't really… help him. Unsure of what to do, his own thoughts were interrupted when a deep yawn suddenly escaped her.

"I'm sorry, I just didn't seem to be able to recall my name for a moment… how strange.", as her gaze shifted towards him again, her eyes suddenly became lidded, another yawn escaping her as she sat down again, resting her head onto her hand.

"And I feel so… sleepy again…", before he could say something himself, a wave of fatigue overcame himself, his vision turning blurry as he gave in to the sensation.

* * *

"Hey, wake up.", with a gasp, Byleth awakened from his sleep, feeling as though everything that transpired in his dream was still in front of his mental eye. At least until his attention shifted over towards his father who took a seat beside him, causing Byleth to realize that he had fallen asleep on his chair. He could still feel the sleepiness tug slightly at his consciousness…

"It was that dream again, wasn't it? You've told me about it before. I can't say I've ever met a girl that matches your description.", Byleth heaved a sigh as he tried to sort out his thoughts, noticing only now that it had already gotten dark outside, the cold air creeping into the tent.

"I need some fresh air.", Byleth muttered as he closed his eyes briefly before he got up from the chair, halting for a moment as he let the dizziness fade away from getting up so quickly. Jeralt regarded him for a while before he sighed.

"Alright, just make sure not to dwell on it too much, it will do you no good on the battlefield. Our next job will be in the Kingdom, so we need to leave soon.", giving a curt nod, Byleth stepped out of the tent and into the cool night air, taking a deep breath before he looked at the surrounding forest around their camp, choosing to go for a walk there.

* * *

"As much as I honor his decision to act as a decoy, he shouldn't have done something so reckless. We need to find him quickly.", Dimitri pointed his lance forward, not letting his guard down as he searched for a trace of the Alliances future leader. Edelgard merely rolled her eyes behind him.

"I highly doubt that this was his intention-"

"Backed up in a corner, huh? Let's get him!", a harsh voice suddenly spoke up from a small distance, snapping Dimitri's attention away.

"There they are! We must hurry to assist him!", before she could reply, Dimitri had already barged ahead and further into the forest. However, Edelgard didn't move from her spot as she watched him run off, sighing to herself.

"I shouldn't…", she muttered before the sounds of footsteps caused her to snap back into focus, turning around to see another group of bandits emerging from the trees behind her.

"Another noble pipsqueak that's about to get slaughtered.", the leader of them exclaimed to which the others laughed in a mocking manner. Edelgard merely narrowed her eyes as she got into a battle position, tightening her grip on her axe while she waited for her opponents to make the first move, watching every single one of them closely as she remained calm. The bandit leader grinned in anticipation before he charged right at her.

Swinging wildly at her, Edelgard parried his blow in a defensive stance before repaying him in kind with a swift slash across his chest. Grunting in frustration, he caught her off guard as he still tried to hit her again despite his injury, managing to knock her weapon out of her hand. Reacting quickly, she still struck her elbow in a strong strike against his face, making him stumble backwards.

She looked to the ground for her axe before she noticed the bad shape it was in, its handle cut in half from the attack. Running out of options, she quickly pulled out her dagger from her belt as a last resort, facing the bandit leader again as he regained his balance, regarding her with malice reflecting in his eyes.

"You'll…die!", charging at her once again, Edelgard shifted into a defensive stance once again as she prepared herself…

…only for her to be suddenly pushed out of the way, merely being able to see a black figure moving in front of her who disarmed the bandit with a precise strike, pushing him backwards and onto the ground again. With a sigh, Byleth relaxed ever so slightly before he took a deep breath. The surprised stare he was receiving from behind went unnoticed by him as he watched the bandit group scatter upon seeing their leader defeated.

"Hey, over here!", the new voice caught the attention of both Edelgard and Byleth as several figures approached them, the mercenaries and Jeralt at the front immediately recognized by him while the two strangers along with a group of knights that he also didn't know were quickly recognized by Edelgard instead.

"There you are! I feared for the worst… but I see you handled yourself well, _and _you've managed to help one of those young brats along the way.", realization lit up in Byleth's eyes as he turned around slightly to look at the one he had helped, not having truly noticed her presence in the heat of the moment.

Meanwhile, one of the unknown knights caught sight of a few runaways, the remaining bandits scattering into the other parts of the forest along with their now injured leader.

"Hey, the thieves are getting away! Go after them!", Byleth watched the knights obey before he turned his questioning eyes back towards his father who merely sighed deeply in response.

"I… we might have gotten into something that I didn't wanted you to.", before Byleth could utter a single word in response, the knight from before suddenly spoke up from behind him once he caught sight of Byleth.

"So you must be Captain Jeralt's son, is that right?", the knight in question smiled enthusiastically, albeit speaking in a rather loud tone.

_'Captain?' _

With slight hesitation, Byleth nodded to which his expression turned even friendlier.

"Apart from the looks, you certainly have the same characteristics as your father. In that case, I would like for you to come to the monastery too!", more questions flooded his mind before Byleth glanced back at his father, who in turn looked to the ground.

"Garreg Mach Monastery… I suppose this was inevitable. I will explain it to you along the way."

Unbeknownst to him, Edelgard was paying her two companions no mind as she subtly listened to the conversation between Alois and the two mercenaries, glancing at the former Captain's son with multiple thoughts running through her mind. She continued to do so until Jeralt left together with Alois to gather his own group of mercenaries to prepare and head back to the monastery with them. It was then that she stepped away from the other two, intent to get the stranger's attention before he, too, would move along. There were too many questions going through her mind for her to ignore this opportunity.

Byleth perked up slightly upon noticing her approach, turning around slightly to face her directly.

"I appreciate your help back there, it might have gotten… slightly out of hand otherwise. I couldn't help but overhear your conversation, am I correct in my assumption that you are a mercenary as well?", Edelgard chose not to mention Jeralt, if he was indeed his son, then there was no need for her to bother him with that. She had seen part of his abilities first hand.

"Yes.", the brief response was new to her, his tone was not unkind but rather… the only term she came up with to describe it was neutral. Seeing that he was merely regarding her for whether or not she had something else to say, she continued after the brief hesitation.

"It would be rude of me not to introduce myself, then. I am Edelgard von Hresvelg. I am a student at the Officers Academy, but-"

"Hey, I believe we haven't met yet!", mentally groaning at the sound of Claude's voice, he along with Dimitri joined in on the conversation as they approached.

"We were quite lucky to run into such capable mercenaries like you in this village, I don't really want to imagine what else would have happened if you wouldn't have helped us out.", Byleth's gaze shifted to the stranger, regarding the seemingly cheery attitude he radiated before his companion gave a slight bow towards him.

"Indeed, we are in your debt. Without you, the situation would have turned out badly for us.", as Dimitri spoke, Edelgard merely regarded Byleth with a neutral expression, all the while observing his own expression and reactions during their conversation.

It didn't change one bit.

She wondered if he was merely annoyed at their interruption. _She _certainly was for those two to interrupt her. Or perhaps he was deep in thought? Something about the aura he gave off was... captivating. He was by no means looking bored, or annoyed, or anything else for the matter. It was as if he was just… analyzing them. Seeing that silence was briefly hanging in the air, Edelgard used the opportunity to say what she intended to.

"Anyway, what I wanted to say was-"

"I'm afraid the time for the chit chat is over, we should head back to the monastery now.", Alois suddenly barged in from behind them, interrupting her once more.

Now she was _definitely _irritated.

"Looks like we'll have to pick this up another time.", Claude said with his smile before both him and Dimitri turned around to follow Alois, Edelgard pondering about whether or not to say anything else before she internally sighed upon seeing that Byleth had also departed, begrudgingly following them as well.

* * *

"This will be your first time at the monastery", Dimitri broke the relative silence between the four of them as he looked at Byleth with a kind smile "I'd be happy to show you around."

"It really is Fodlan in a nutshell.", Claude commented with a grin. However, Byleth kept his gaze directed forward, unsure of the current situation. He could see his father talking with a few of the unfamiliar knights, however, they were seemingly very much familiar to him, though. At least he was not sparse with his words as he usually would be. And he still didn't know anything about the three students that were keeping him company, aside from them being students at the Officers Academy of which his father had told him about during the beginning of their trip.

They were friendly, he could tell that much. He was grateful for them not asking personal questions about himself, and their friendly demeanor was… lifting his mood. Slightly. But their attempts to start a conversation were regardless a bit much for him, instead, he was rather interested in merely listening to them.

At least that was the case with two of them, the one he managed to help earlier was different. She kept to herself, keeping her gaze directed forward as well. Byleth couldn't make out anything about her, her expression was unreadable. Which caused him to shift his gaze towards her slightly when she suddenly chose to speak up.

"Like it or not, we'll be there soon enough.", glancing at her out of the corner of his eye for a brief moment, he directed his gaze forward again as they slowly approached the end of the forest, a giant building becoming more and more visible in the distance. So that was it…

"Garreg Mach Monastery."

* * *

"So what was the deal with the bandits that attacked earlier? I doubt it was a coincidence.", Jeralt looked back at Alois, trying to at least find out how he and Byleth got caught up in this mess.

"We are trying our best to keep these assignments for the students a secret, but who knows? There might have been a crack in the wall somewhere. But until we have investigated this further, I can only say for sure that they were sent by someone. We'll surely get something out of the thieves we captured.", an unpleasant feeling settled in Jeralts stomach as the word 'captured' escaped him. He knew all too well what happened to those that got into trouble with the church…

"Ah, I almost forgot! Just a tiny little detail, the professor assigned to this mission in the forest turned tail and ran away during the attack. It seems there is a free place right now.", Jeralts eyes narrowed ever so slightly, annoyance settling into his eyes.

"That is truly unfortunate.", he avoided discussing this further, not wanting to get even further into this mess.

"It truly is. That a teacher of our esteemed academy would run away like this. But I've already got a few ideas in mind.", trying to suppress a sigh, Jeralt concluded that this was probably the best outcome he could manage out of this conversation, he just hoped that Alois wouldn't go ahead and do something foolish…

Sparing a glance upwards as they entered the great courtyard of the monastery, he caught sight of the Archbishop standing atop one of the towers, gazing down at something behind him. Turning around, he saw Byleth coming up to him before he followed his gaze upwards.

"Rhea's here…", Byleth glanced back at his father. He told him that he had a history with this place and that he was once a knight in their service, but he could hardly make a picture for himself from that. The only thing he knew and had always known was that the man beside him was… his father, and nothing else. He didn't needed or wanted anything else. There were just so many new things in general to take in for him...

"Rhea…?", sparing a glance back towards the tower, he noticed the absence of the woman that was standing there a mere moment ago.

"Yes, as I told you, the majority of folks in Fodlan are strong believers in the teachings of Seiros. And the leader of that ridiculously large religion is the Archbishop, Lady Rhea.", Byleth pondered about this, letting his gaze wander to the ground. Never once did he mention anything like this to him before. A mere day ago, he didn't even know that anything like this existed…

"Regardless, we should head inside. No doubt they're already expecting us.", though before Byleth could take a step, Jeralt turned around slightly to face him, a sigh escaping him.

"Look, I don't like this any more than you do. I know this is all not what you are used to, and after all these years, I feel very much out of place here as well.", upon hearing this, Byleth's eyes searched those of his father, his gaze glittering with a shimmer of hope for an explanation that he would better understand, but unfortunately he didn't get it.

"But I have a feeling we might be stuck here for a while."

* * *

"I apologize for the wait. I am Seteth, an advisor to the Archbishop.", a man with green hair, along with the woman Byleth had seen earlier, now stood in front of them. As his father had led him through the various corridors and ways through the monastery, Byleth had tried his best to remember as much of the place as he could, but it was too big for him to be able to keep everything in his mind. But he still saw the great amount of activity and liveliness that filled this place, along with the various students that were going through their daily routines.

He even caught a glimpse of one of the students he had met the previous night, caught up in a training session. And along with all that, he was also very well aware of the various stares they received. He didn't doubt the whole place knew that a group of mercenaries was here, and it seemed his father was well known by at least half of the people…

"I'm sorry for my many years of absence, but it was necessary."

"So I see.", Byleth was not oblivious to her gaze that was upon him from the start.

"What is your name, dear child?", he could feel his father glancing at him.

"My name is Byleth.", he gave a slight bow, choosing to behave as if they were talking to a client, being as formal as possible. Rhea smiled at him with kind eyes, giving him a weird sensation.

"An endearing name, truly.", her smile vanished slightly as she looked back at his father, an almost expectant expression on her face.

"I believe Alois might have already told you of what I want to propose…?", upon that, Jeralt seemed to blankly stare into nothingness for a moment.

_"But I've already got a few ideas in mind."_

Jeralt closed his eyes, cursing the knight.

"I won't say no, but putting me in charge to teach some of these kids might not be the best idea."

"Do you truly think so? I believe you would make quite a good example for our students. And I'd like to offer you something as well, Byleth. Alois has spoken highly of you for your help in defending the lives of our students, and for that, I am eternally grateful. I would like to offer you a place among the students here at the academy, it would be most fitting, as well as a fine opportunity to learn even more.", her kind smile returned in full as she spoke these words to Byleth. He stared at her for what felt like an eternity to him, blinking his eyes once. He could almost hear his father groaning internally as he spared a brief glance at him.

He simply nodded curtly, not having the time to truly think it through, and it unsettled him. The pressure he felt just now was only slowly fading away as Lady Rhea acknowledged his response with a smile before she faced his father again.

"I'm afraid I must take my leave for now. I will send the two current professors to you shortly in order to inform you which house you will be teaching, I think it would be most fitting if Byleth were to learn in the same house as well.", as she said those last words, her gaze met Byleth's own briefly with a smile before she, along with her advisor, left the hall. Upon their leave, Jeralt immediately heaved a sigh and put a hand to his face.

"It became worse than I thought, I have no words left for all of this. I'm so sorry for this mess.", Byleth regarded him quietly, yet unsurely, as he slowly reached out his hand to gently place it onto his shoulder, causing Jeralt to look at his gesture before a small but honest smile graced his face.

"I'm just worried. I know how much you prefer to keep to yourself, and to be forced into this student thing…"

"I hope you didn't had to wait too long.", the new voice caught the attention of father and son as the two newcomers entered the hall.

"Ah, so you're the new teacher? So handsome and strong, I'm sure you're a fine addition. I am professor Manuela.", the woman in question said with a wink at his father, giving Byleth a good first impression. In the meaning of he'll avoid conversation when possible. Jeralt merely kept an awkward expression, shifting his eyes rather to the second teacher in the hopes of getting himself out of the situation.

"Manuela, please spare our new teacher this nonsense. I am professor Hannemann, and also a crest scholar.", the rather old man in question introduced himself.

"Riiight, I'm glad to meet you so early. I believe Lady Rhea mentioned that you could inform me of the… school system?", Manuela gave a surprised look in return before she spoke up.

"Oh, you don't know already? Very well, I might as well do it then. The Academy is compromised into three houses, each of them representing their accustomed nation. The Black Eagle house is for students from the Adrestian Empire. Their house leader is Edelgard, who is also in line to become the next Emperor.", Byleth listened intently, trying to get a better grasp of this place. He knew of the three different nations, it was impossible not to, but his eyes still slightly widened upon hearing who exactly their house leader was.

_"I am Edelgard von Hresvelg. I am a student at the Officers Academy, but… " _

Her words rang in his mind again as he pondered about his previous actions in the forest. Somehow the thought of meeting her again was slightly… unsettling him.

"-of the Leicester Alliance, their house leader is Claude, who will be the next sovereign Duke of the alliance.", his attention snapped back towards the two teachers, realizing now that he had missed their explanation upon the other two houses. Almost, at least.

"Since you are the new teacher among us, we have decided to let you choose which one of the houses you want to teach. Oh, and of course, I haven't even greeted you yet.", Manuela said towards Byleth with a small grin on her face.

"You are going to be among one of the houses as well, no? If so, you might decide as well, after all, it would do no good to seperate the two of you, would it now?", Jeralt shifted his gaze towards Byleth who was in turn merely looking past Manuela, multiple thoughts going through his mind.

"I believe it would be for the best if you decided.", Jeralt muttered towards him, knowing that he had at least met the different house leaders before. As the attention lingered on him, Byleth thought back towards the three students he had briefly met, recalling every single one of them. He didn't know why, he had to decide solely based upon what little he knew of them, but there was still something that intrigued him when he thought about a particular person...

He made a choice.

* * *

The attention of every single student was upon them as Byleth and Jeralt entered the classroom of the Black Eagles, Byleth only briefly looking over every single one of them before his eyes stopped at the house leader that was standing in front of the little group, her own gaze looking back at him intently, causing him to shift his attention to the others again.

"Oh, I've heard that you're going to be our new teacher! It's going to be so amazing to see your skills, I want to see you in action!", a blue haired student broke the silence with enthusiasm, raising a fist into the air.

"Caspar, this is not an appropriate way to greet someone.", a female student said, Byleth already trying to get accustomed with their names.

"You expect Caspar and appropriate to fit together?", yet another one, a green haired male, spoke up with an uninterested tone. Despite his best efforts, Byleth could _not _shake the feeling away that accompanied him as he noticed Edelgard still glancing at him, not once shifting her eyes away.

"Alright, let's all settle down. I will get to know every single one of you with enough time, but this is too much for the moment.", Jeralt tried to calm them, however, it resulted in the students asking him various questions instead, their excitement getting the better of them. Byleth merely regarded the whole scene with an amused glint in his eye, his father practically pinned on the spot. However, suddenly he heard someone approach him, causing him to stiffen ever so slightly as Edelgard stood in front of him, a small but friendly smile on her face.

"I'm surprised to see that you will be learning among us, but I am looking forward to it nonetheless. I'm sorry for the commotion they are causing, they are not usually this… rowdy.", Byleth spared a glance back at his father who heaved a sigh as the students seemingly overwhelmed him. A trace of a smile would have graced his face, if only a sudden thought wouldn't have occurred to him, making him wonder why Edelgard had chosen to separate from them in order to speak with him.

"I didn't have the chance to ask you for your name back then. If you don't mind, that is…?", as he looked back into her eyes, he still found himself intrigued that he couldn't make out a single thing about her.

"My name is Byleth Eisner.", upon that, a glint appeared in her eyes.

"Then I welcome you to the Black Eagles, Byleth."

…

His gaze subtly shifted from student to student, trying to get an impression of those he was supposed to learn with from now on. The sympathetic glint in his father's eyes gave him a feeling of being understood, letting him know that his father was aware of his… uncomfortableness. He was never forced to be this close to others before in a matter like this, and he did not exactly plan to get closer to them. Neither could he truly grasp his current situation, he could learn and improve, that was positive and enough reason not to question all of this, but he was still a mercenary.

And not part of the Adrestian Empire's students.

But he was quick to learn their names, and he was interested in seeing more of their personalities. His gaze shifted towards Linhardt, seeing him rest his head on his hand as he dozed during the lesson. He made a mental note at that before he briefly looked at Petra sitting beside him, listening to his father's words. Byleth shifted ever so slightly in his seat, resting his hands on his lap. He shouldn't get carried away like this, maybe in time he would get more used to the presence of the students around him…

As he looked back to his father to pick back up on his lecture, a sudden feeling nagged on his mind before he shifted his gaze to the left side-

-to see a pair of violet eyes gaze back into his own. Taken aback slightly, he merely looked back at Edelgard as she seemingly observed him, her expression unreadable to him before he broke eye contact, shifting his gaze back to his father. That was… curious. And despite trying to clear his thoughts from anything related to the students…

…he could still somehow feel her gaze lingering on him.

**I hope you enjoyed! Do tell me what you think about it, I like the idea very much ^^**


	2. The Black Eagles

Byleth resisted the urge to stretch as his father ended the last part of his lesson for the day, at least if it could be called like that. It was rather a display of Jeralt trying to get used to handling a whole group of students while maintaining his usual characteristics. On the other hand, Byleth could not manage to keep his thoughts on the lesson for long periods, more often than not his thoughts would shift over to what was supposed to be his new home for a long time. The monastery, its vast space and places that he was completely unfamiliar with constantly gave him the feeling that he didn't belong here.

The students were getting up from their seats except Edelgard, who remained on her seat to take final notes of what his father had at least managed to teach at the end. However, it did not exactly help him that he was already very much familiar with what his father had taught him himself during their travels. All the while he could hear the others conversing with each other, Caspar's voice sticking out from them the most somehow. Sparing a glance outside, he noticed that it was already getting dark, despite the early hour. The days were getting shorter.

Realization suddenly hit him that he didn't even know where exactly they were staying at the monastery, he didn't remember anyone giving Jeralt an instruction on that either… they would have to find out. As Jeralt packed the last of his belongings into a small bag, Byleth slowly got up from his seat as well before a voice suddenly made him stop in his tracks.

"Hey, I believe we haven't even spoken yet!", Byleth turned around, recognizing the student in front of him as Ferdinand from what he had gathered. Truth to be told, he had barely spoken with anyone besides Edelgard when he had first stepped into this classroom. To his dismay however, the other students had picked up on that and focused their attention on him, approaching him now as well with friendly expressions. His father had his fair share, it seemed that it was his turn now…

Unbeknownst to him, the small gathering around Byleth caused Edelgard to glance up from her parchment, subtly regarding the scene beside her.

"Yes, I have already wondered how I should best approach you. I just wasn't sure, you seemed so… focused before, I didn't wanted to disturb you.", Dorothea slightly gambled at the end, seemingly pondering about her own words for a moment. However, Ferdinand was quick to continue.

"Yes, you see, here in the Black Eagle house we are all trying to treat each other as equals, despite our standings. Based on what we know about you, you might already know a lot more than most of us, but I hear we are still very close in age, right? And we would all like to include you into our circle as well, if that is alright?", he looked at the others who all nodded in agreement. Although, it turned somewhat hesitant as Byleth seemed to just blankly look back at them.

Jeralt was by now regarding all of this from the side as well, regarding all of the students for a long moment before he closed his eyes.

And a small smile came to his face.

_"Annoying they might be, but they are good kids."_

Meanwhile, Byleth was internally slightly taken aback by this request, not being used to something like that. After a moment's hesitation, he briefly nodded in thanks, shifting his gaze from one to another as he replied.

"Of course, I don't mind."

"Great, that settles it! I'm looking forward to see you again tomorrow, we must train some time together, I wanna see you in action as well!", Caspar exclaimed enthusiastically to which Dorothea merely sighed, shaking her head before she looked back at Byleth with a smile.

"Or perhaps you would like to settle down with us and drink a tea, I'd be happy to.", as he took in their words, he noticed a girl standing at the back of everyone, looking somewhat fixated on him albeit with a small smile. He didn't know her name yet…?

"Bernadetta, you should greet our new classmate too.", as if on cue, the girl in question shrieked in shock before she looked away from Byleth, seemingly looking for words.

"I-I didn't wanted to disturb you…", Byleth quietly regarded her for a long moment, occupied with his own thoughts. It was only half a day he spent here, only one small gesture from those he would be spending time with every day from now on… and he strangely looked forward to the next day. Yet he couldn't help but wonder, why were they welcoming him so openly…?

He blinked his eyes, having missed the current conversation around him until Ferdinand faced him one last time, wishing him a good night which was followed by the rest of the students before they left the classroom one after another. However, he also noticed one particular student that had merely regarded him for a long moment as well, having black hair and a rather intimidating expression. It was the only description he could think of as of now, and he didn't know the name of said student yet. He left the room as the last one, having not once spoken a word either as he departed. He would only see in time what exactly to make out of this person…

However, Edelgard was still remaining, taking her time with arranging the last of the parchments on her table.

Byleth could hear his father approaching from behind, hanging his bag around his shoulder.

"We should see for our own quarters as well, it is getting late. I've been assigned my old room that I once had, but I don't exactly remember where the dormitory for the students are located, so we'll just have to look for that.", upon that, Edelgard suddenly spoke up from beside them as she now stood up from her seat.

"I believe I can help you with that. Since this is your first time here, I would be glad to help you find your footing.", Jeralt looked at the house leader with a mixed expression, causing Byleth to wonder what he was thinking about. In the end, he just looked back at Byleth with a neutral expression before he shrugged.

"Well, if that is alright for you?", Byleth merely nodded, gratefully accepting her offer. It spared both him and his father a lot of time searching…

"Then I guess I'll see you tomorrow. I have to get used to this new schedule but according to it, there are no lessons on the weekend, so you'll have a good amount of time to explore this place. Have a good night's rest.", with that, Jeralt turned to leave the classroom, however, not without giving a last glance at Edelgard, who until now kept silent as to not interrupt them. It didn't go unnoticed by her, so she merely returned the gesture before he took his leave. Once it was only the two of them left, she returned her full attention towards Byleth as she regarded him.

"The dormitory is compromised into three sections for the different houses as well, ours is the first one in line. There is a room still free, once you choose it, it will belong to you.", she turned around and took a first step before she glanced back at him.

"I will show you where it is located, if you would follow me…?"

* * *

The small trip towards the dormitory went by in silence as it came into view.

"I can imagine all of this being a lot to take in for you.", he was surprised when she suddenly broke it, however, she was keeping her gaze directed forward.

"Despite my origin, you all still treated me as one of your own.", Byleth chose his words carefully, unsure how to describe his experience from this day and his new… _classmates_.

"Yes, they may be quite lively, but they are good people nonetheless.", upon that, Byleth glanced at her to see that her expression hadn't changed. He wondered why she made it sound like she excluded herself from them…

She stopped in front of a door that was the second in line of the others, the three buildings containing the various rooms for the different houses were also standing in a line, each one separated by a small gap between them.

"Anyway, we all have rooms similar to one another's, but we are still free to customize them to suit our needs, as long as we keep them in proper order. I hope it is to your liking.", she turned around one last time to face him, causing him to look back at her as well.

"Don't hesitate to ask if you should ever require something.", after a brief moment he nodded in gratitude. Wishing her a good night, he approached his room and reached for the handle before he momentarily halted in his motion, seeing Edelgard walk up to the room just to his right.

_"I could have guessed that the first one would probably be her own."_

Shaking the thoughts away, he entered the room and laid his small bag next to a small table before he gently closed the door behind him again.

As Edelgard opened the door to her own room, she took a last glance to her left.

"... sleep well."

* * *

"I see you have handled yourself very well so far.", Byleth awoke once again to the strange voice in his head, the familiar void around him along with the girl that was sitting on the throne in front of him. It was his chance to maybe ask for answers-

"But don't think your reckless little stunt against those bandits went unnoticed by me! Honestly, I'm beginning to wonder if you don't value your own life!", taken aback at her slight outburst, he kept silent as she heaved a sigh.

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter anymore. But you should really be more careful the next time before you rush off to get yourself killed, _and _me along with it.", upon that, Byleth's eyes snapped back towards her but he was once again silenced as she continued.

"Anyway, that's not what I wanted to talk about. I see that look upon your face… you know, you should get used to my presence from now on before you openly stare in shock should I decide to speak to you while you are _not _asleep. Believe me, it crossed my mind, but I decided to tell you now instead."

"But who _exactly _are you?", Sothis merely looked back at him in wonder.

"I believe I already told you, I am Sothis. But I am also called… the beginning.", Byleth huffed ever so slightly before a wave of fatigue overcame him again, causing him to waver on the spot.

"Oh, is it that… time again…?", she yawned deeply as she rested her head on her hand again, regarding Byleth with sleepy eyes.

"We will surely meet again… but remember what I said, you shouldn't be surprised… by my voice… no other can hear it…"

* * *

With a gasp, Byleth opened his eyes to find himself inside of his new room, still feeling unfamiliar towards it as he let his eyes wander, seeing that there was already a slight glimmer of light coming through a crack at the door. It couldn't be later than early in the morning…

There was not much furniture inside, aside from a small table and his bed, there was only a round little carpet on the floor, its color a crimson red. He guessed it resembled the house the room belonged to.

With a sigh, he briefly rested his head onto his hands and rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his thoughts before he slowly sat up from the bed, however, accidently stepping onto a part of his chest armor that lay just beside the bed. He recalled that he didn't even put away most of his armor, he was too exhausted from everything. Looking down at himself, he regarded his clothing for a moment. His entire clothing and armor was almost exclusively colored in black, especially the long coat he was usually wearing beneath his armor. Shifting his gaze over to his small bag, he got up from the bed and bent down towards it, laying it onto the table for better access. It was not much he called his own belongings, but it was all he really needed…

He sorted out his spare clothing, which was equally colored black, and laid them orderly onto his bed. Upon further rummaging through his bag, he stopped momentarily as he pulled out a small but shining dagger. Running a finger over its surface, Byleth let old memories run through his mind before he sheathed it into a deep blue cover on his belt, which was specifically made for this weapon.

A gift from his father.

Looking back into his bag, he set it onto the ground again before his gaze shifted towards the door. He could use the early hour to explore a bit more of the monastery, without getting unwanted attention. As he stepped out of the door, he took a deep breath of the cold morning air before he looked down the way, not seeing any other students currently outside of the dormitory.

…

The monastery was a beautiful place, Byleth didn't know how early it was exactly but the lack of presence gave him the opportunity to regard the various places in a comfortable silence, aside from the knights that patrolled the streets and entrances. He didn't move too far away from what little parts he did have the chance to get slightly familiar with, but his short walk led him towards a grand dining hall that was not far away from the dormitory.

"Oh, you are new here, aren't you?", a voice caught his attention as he saw a girl with blonde hair stand up from her seat at one of the tables before she approached him. Based upon her uniform, he guessed her to be a student as well, albeit unknown to him.

"Many are currently talking about you and your father, especially your choice on joining our house in particular. I might not be in the same group as you, but we are now both from the same house anyway, so that makes you a friend.", she smiled openly at him before she gestured to a small cooking area that was located close to the entrance of the dining hall.

"As you might have guessed, this is the dining hall. Every morning, afternoon and evening you have the choice to come here to eat, but if you feel like it, you can also come here at a different time and cook something for yourself if you have the skill and ingredients for it. Just make sure to clean up afterwards and not set anything up on fire.", Byleth nodded, appreciating that she explained it to him.

"Thank you for taking your time."

"It is of no consequence. The monastery might be a bit overwhelming at first, but I'm sure you'll get used to it in no time. Who knows, maybe I'll see you around another time again, but I have to get going for now.", she took a few steps past him before she stopped, a thought occurring to her.

"Oh, and your name is Byleth, correct?", she turned around one last time to look at him for confirmation but before he could say anything, another voice interrupted them from behind.

"Well, I didn't expect to meet you here at such an early hour!", both of them turned around to see Claude entering the dining hall as well, looking as cheery towards him as Byleth remembered from their trip before. However, he noticed the student stiffen ever so slightly as he approached them.

"... right, anyway, until next time.", with that, she went past Claude with a quickened paste. It didn't go unnoticed as well since he merely sighed at the gesture.

"Jeez, some take the boundaries between the houses really seriously…", he muttered under his breath before his seemingly signature smile returned as he looked at Byleth.

"But anyway, I haven't seen you around anymore yesterday, I was hoping to get to know you a little bit better. As I've heard however, you have taken a position as a student at the Black Eagle house. A shame I didn't get the chance to see you again that time, maybe I could have convinced you to change your mind…", his tone was filled with humor but Byleth couldn't quite connect it with the expression he was wearing. It was as if it didn't really fit together…

"Why are you awake so early as well?", Byleth decided not to speak about it further, he had made a decision that might have been too sudden but he didn't regret it. On the other hand, it was Claude's turn to look slightly embarrassed as he glanced at the cooking area.

"Alright, in truth I was hoping to get a quick bite before breakfast would be served, I just had the need for something… more. But don't look at me like that, yesterday I did not exactly get a chance for that.", he held his hands up in defense before he glanced at the many empty tables in the hall, not a single soul being here besides them. A glimmer seemed to appear in his eyes before he looked back at Byleth.

"Why don't we both get ourselves a little breakfast, the staff is keeping little things like a few slices of bread and such for everyone to take, it'd be better than nothing. And I would get a chance to chat a bit with you.", in any other case, this was the kind of offer he would almost always politely decline if he didn't know said person well, which was equally as often the case. But this was… a different case, and he didn't wanted to just decline his offer.

…

"I can't recall having properly introduced myself in any way yet, where are my manners. I'm Claude von Riegan, and I'm to become the next leader of the Leicester Alliance. But don't worry too much about all of this madness. At the Golden Deer, we're all pretty easy going and not as… difficult, as the other two. No offense.", he smiled at the last bit, meaning it in a humorous way. Byleth found himself very much intrigued by the different houses, especially with the three nations they represent. Back then, he wouldn't have spared a second thought on such trivial things, they didn't pledge their allegiance to anyone. But now, it all seemed to be so much… closer to him, he was among them now and at least somewhat connected to them, whether he liked it or not.

_Especially, _with the Black Eagles.

"But that's beside the point, how have you been holding up? I'm sure there is still plenty to see for you, now I don't know everyone from the other houses myself but did anyone from the Golden Deer catch your attention by any chance?", as he finished, he took a slice of bread with a bit of cooked meat.

"I didn't get the chance to meet anyone from them yet, I'm sorry.", Byleth internally wondered what Claude was thinking about, his cheerful and friendly attitude didn't make it seem like it, but it didn't match with the way he was looking at him. There was more going through his head than simply just wanting to talk casually with him.

"No need to worry, it's understandable. I remember my first time when I came here, I took my time as well.", he took another bite from his meat as Byleth pondered about his next words.

"But what about you?", Claude stopped chewing for a moment as he gave Byleth a questioning glance.

"I _did _meet someone from the Golden Deer, and he is sitting in front of me right now. So what about you?", he repeated his question to which Claude grinned mischievously before he chuckled lightly.

"Alright then, what can I say about me? Many people believe I'm a bit strange, but I'm just being myself. I also don't give much about my standing, and here at the monastery I'm only a student like everyone else, which is what I appreciate about the Golden Deer the most. We're all the same and a bit more easy going. Well, what else? I could tell you more but how about we get to know each other more and more during the weeks?", Byleth took in his words, and he couldn't help but wonder himself how the following week would turn out…

Neither could he stop himself from comparing Claude with Edelgard. It seemed like they were complete opposites, she was more focused and composed, he was casual and very open. And yet both had something else about them as well… he had a feeling Claude was not completely what he made himself seem like, and Edelgard was…

… he still couldn't make out anything about her.

His thoughts shifted towards the third house leader, besides them travelling together the day before he only caught a brief glimpse of him during a training session with two other students. However, the first few voices and conversations could be heard from outside the hall, signaling that more students would soon come to the dining hall.

"Time certainly flies, no? Maybe we can continue this another time, I think I'll be passing out on breakfast regardless. You still have the whole weekend to get more accustomed to this place, you have any plans for today? If you want, I can show you around some places that might catch your interest-"

"I believe this won't be necessary.", Claude's smile vanished for the briefest of seconds as he shifted his gaze to see Edelgard approaching them from the side, looking at him with slightly narrowed eyes.

"... good morning to you as well, Edelgard. You know, the serious expression won't do you any good, it will sour your mood for the day.", Byleth blankly watched the scene in front of him with slight uneasiness, not knowing what to make out of it. It didn't seem like they were on good terms with each other, and he only witnessed a fracture of them interacting.

"You could spare me from your gambling to improve my mood, for starters. But if you wouldn't mind, there is something I wanted to discuss with Byleth.", taking the hint with a sigh, Claude held up his hands in defeat before he got up from his seat, glancing at Byleth one last time with his usual smile.

"Alright then, I'll let you get right to it. As I said, if you need anything you can call me anytime.", as Claude walked out of the dining hall, Edelgard sighed in annoyance before she directed her attention towards the one she originally intended to speak with.

"Do tell me that you haven't spent too much time in his presence. It would be a shame if his foolish attitude would rub off on you in any way.", she let her words openly hanging in the air before she shook those thoughts away, her expression softening slightly.

"You weren't inside of your room when I looked for you, you woke up very early. Your father wished to see you, he wanted to offer us a training session later in the day. I was wondering if you would take part in it?", Byleth had lost track of the time, Claude definitely managed to take his mind off of that. However, he would surely join them for this, he wanted to see what his father had in mind for them, so he merely gave her a curt nod.

"Of course."


	3. Training Session

The Black Eagle members were already assembled inside of the training ground, waiting for Jeralt to start their session. At least, those who _were _present, since Byleth noticed the absence of two of his classmates when he took a quick glance over their small group, and so did Edelgard as the both of them arrived.

"Wherever Linhardt is dozing off again, he should know better than to miss a training session…", Edelgard muttered more to herself as she surveyed everyone, taking notice of Hubert's absence as well. Byleth glanced at her for a brief moment before he shifted his attention to his father who was standing at the front of everyone. Jeralt surveyed their little group one last time before he finally spoke up, silencing any ongoing conversations between a few of the students.

"Alright then, since I decided to hold this session during the weekend, this training is optional and therefore not everyone has to attend. With that being said, I'm sure that you all have already been trained fairly well before, but in order to see everyone's abilities for myself, I want you to partner up for this session and fight in groups against each other. I will divide you into the groups.", taking out a small parchment that he had specifically prepared the night before, he quickly glanced at the ground as he enrolled it.

"And hopefully learn your names along with it…", he muttered under his breath before he shifted his gaze back onto the parchment, reading the paired names out aloud.

"Caspar and Ferdinand. You are the first group."

"Oh, this will turn out to be a fine match for the nobility!", Ferdinand grasped his lance in both of his hands as Caspar joined him, holding his axe enthusiastically.

"We'll be sure to give the others a hard challenge!"

"Edelgard and Petra, you are the second one.", upon hearing the new name, Byleth glanced at the girl in question who joined Edelgard as a partner.

"They should be guarding themselves, we will not hold back, correct?", Byleth wondered where she originally came from, he was not very much familiar with the countries around Fodlan. But her speech was not what made her stick out, her expression was serious and confident.

"We won't, and we _will _prevail.", Edelgard agreed just as confident.

"Byleth and Bernadetta, you are the last group.", as his father looked up from the parchment to survey the three different groups, Byleth turned his gaze towards his partner for the lesson to see that she was nervously shifting in place, not looking up from the ground. With a slight tilt of his head, he slowly approached her instead before she suddenly jumped slightly as she noticed his presence.

"A-ah! Do we r-really need to fight each other now? Can't we just learn from a book instead…?", she glanced somewhat uncomfortably at the other two groups, avoiding direct eye contact with him. Jeralt noticed her emotional turmoil however, pondering about his next instruction carefully as he decided to approach this situation in a different manner. He _could _split them up and let them join the other two groups, but seeing how his son regarded her…

"Since we are only able to form three groups for this session, I want the four of you to fight against each other together with your respective partner. Being able to work together and coordinate your attacks with your allies is crucial on the battlefield, so I want to see what you're capable of.", Edelgard and Petra took position opposite of Ferdinand and Caspar, preparing themselves while Jeralt kept an eye on Bernadetta and Byleth. He knew that Byleth could in this case be of far more help, with him being a lot closer as a classmate.

"I want you two to observe for now.", Byleth nodded curtly before he settled onto the stairs behind him, noticing Bernadetta looking at his sudden movement which he used to motion to the empty space beside him. Hesitation reflected in her eyes before Byleth allowed an ever so slight curve on his lips, causing her to regard the space beside him again. In a quick and sudden movement she took the seat beside him, staring at the two groups facing each other without looking at him once while Byleth merely blinked.

A small wave of contentment went through him.

"I hope you are prepared, Edelgard, because now I'll show you my superior skills!", Edelgard merely rolled her eyes at that, heaving a sigh.

"Stop regarding this as a competition.", she held her axe tightly as she surveyed her opponents, awaiting Jeralt's signal to start. Regarding the two pairs from the side, Jeralt raised his arm to which the students prepared themselves.

"Who do you think will prevail?", Bernadetta jumped slightly at his sudden question, glancing at him from the corner of her eyes to see that his own gaze was still fixated onto the others. Calming down slightly, she turned her gaze back as well, silence hanging between them for but a moment before she quietly replied.

"... I think Edelgard and Petra…", keeping his gaze still forward, a small curve still formed on his lips.

"My thought as well."

"Begin!", Jeralt dropped his arm, signalling the mock fight to begin.

Edelgard wasted not a single second as she rushed ahead, keeping her wooden axe to her side as she fixated on Ferdinand who had done the same, running ahead with his lance pointed forward to meet his opponent. Watching his arms closely, Edelgard's expression betrayed nothing while Ferdinand already smirked as he approached her, raising his lance for an attempt to hit her at her chest. Edelgard waited for just that moment before she swiftly stepped to the side, stopping her own advance to see his lance pierce the empty space beside her. Realizing his mistake too late, Edelgard merely swung her axe in a precise and powerful strike against his right arm, causing him to drop his lance with a groan. Wooden weapons they may be, but the force behind her attack left him holding his arm in slight pain.

Jeralt regarded the house leader for a long moment, having paid close attention to her fighting style. Her posture and technique were flawless, the strength and precision in her attack nothing to sneer at.

"Well, how was that?", swinging her axe to her side, her eyes widened slightly when she heard Petra grunt in pain, causing her to turn around.

"Nice distraction, Ferdinand! We've got this for sure!", Petra looked up at Edelgard from her kneeling position, still holding her arm.

But she wasn't working together with her partner.

"I ask for forgiveness, Edelgard, but I think that was too much…", Caspar readied his own axe as he charged at her, causing her to get into a defensive stance. However, just as he swung at Edelgard to which she jumped slightly backwards, Ferdinand used his opportunity to take his lance into both of his hands again before he swung it vertically in an unusual manner against her legs. With a surprised gasp, Edelgard lost her balance and fell to the ground, her axe dropping to the ground as well.

"That's enough! The winner of this session are Ferdinand and Caspar!", and with that, Jeralt ended the first training battle.

"O-oh, but how…? Edelgard and Petra seemed to be s-such a good match…", Byleth hummed in response, not quite being able to think of a possible reason. Truthfully, he was very interested in seeing his house leader fight, he had merely gotten a glimpse of it before. And it was not a training session.

Which made him wonder all the more what went wrong. Perhaps he should have paid more attention to the other two, he didn't see Petra fight for a single moment.

Edelgard closed her eyes as she gripped the hilt of her axe tightly in frustration, feeling the slight stinging pain in her leg as she shifted most of her weight onto her left arm to balance herself before she got up from the ground, albeit shakily for a moment.

Byleth noticed his father shifting his gaze over to them, seeing the pondering expression he held.

"Ferdinand, Caspar, are you still feeling confident enough for a second match?", Jeralt's sudden question made the two look at him with a surprised expression for a brief second before the both of them agreed with vigor.

"Sure, I can still pack a punch!", Caspar held a fist to his chest and his axe to the air.

"My arm stings a bit, but that won't slow me down.", Ferdinand agreed as he got up from the ground as well, moving his right arm to lessen the slight pain. Suddenly, a small smirk came to Jeralt's face, whether it was because of their enthusiasm or something else, Byleth didn't know. But he was already thinking about how to use both his ability with a sword and Bernadetta's with a bow as best as they could…

"Perfect. What about you, Edelgard? Are you still up for a rematch as well?", Edelgard's eyes widened as much as Byleth's in surprise, the former merely nodding her head slowly.

"Oh? But then what about-", Ferdinand couldn't finish his sentence as Jeralt shifted his gaze towards Byleth, making him stiffen ever so slightly.

"Byleth, would you mind taking Petra's place for this round? A little change might be useful here.", Byleth blankly looked at his father for a moment, pondering about it. Why shouldn't Bernadetta participate as well? On the other hand, if she didn't feel like sparring for now, it might also be good to accept. He has also seen at least Ferdinand fight, it would help him…

He nodded.

"Good, then take up position again.", Byleth was oblivious to Edelgard's watchful gaze as he observed the two opponents in front of him, at least until he glanced at his partner to see her subtly staring back at him. Jeralt raised his arm again to which the other pair got ready before Byleth muttered.

"Are you ready?"

"... yes, we will crush them.", surprised at her choice of words, Jeralt already dropped his arm to signal the start of the match. Expecting her to charge forward, Byleth was slightly surprised to see that she remained at his side and merely observed their opponents advance towards them instead, keeping her posture relaxed. Byleth watched their moves as well, waiting for the first one to strike.

Seeing that Ferdinand chose to attack him this time, Byleth watched him point his lance forward in a steady way, no doubt having learned from his previous mistake. As he thrust his lance forward a lot sooner this time, hoping to hit his mark with the tip of his lance, Byleth merely jumped backwards to dodge instead before he charged forward himself, using the precious few seconds Ferdinand needed to pull back. With a quick swipe, he hit him across the chest which caused him to stumble backwards slightly. However, it was not enough as Ferdinand blocked his next swipe with his lance, keeping to a defensive stance instead.

Edelgard, however, had managed to hit the hilt of her axe into Caspar's stomach, giving her a chance to deliver the last blow before she instinctively glanced towards Byleth, seeing Ferdinand trying to dodge his every blow and keep him at a distance. Moving away from Caspar, she caught Ferdinand by surprise as she swung her axe at him, aiming for another strike onto his arm.

Jeralt watched this closely, his eyes narrowing slightly.

_"Having a sudden change of mind now?" _

Though Ferdinand was not the only one caught by surprise as Byleth saw the opening she managed to give him and quickly stabbed him with his wooden sword into the stomach, causing him to inhale sharply before he knelt onto the ground, holding his stomach. Byleth heard the footsteps from beside him as Caspar attempted to catch Edelgard off guard to which he stepped between them and parried his strike before delivering the final blow with a swift counterattack.

Edelgard smiled victoriously as she watched Byleth deliver the last blow, making the two of them the winners.

"Alright, that's enough! The winners of this round are Edelgard and Byleth!", a slight clapping caught Byleth's attention as he saw Bernadetta cheer almost non audibly for them before she abruptly stopped upon seeing him look back at her. He felt a trace of amusement until his eyes shifted back towards his father. There was a slight undertone in his voice…

"Good work, Byleth, we were certainly able to coordinate our attacks very well.", Edelgard suddenly spoke up from beside him, her smile not having vanished in the slightest.

"We certainly did."

Unbeknownst to them, Jeralt watched the two of them with an unreadable expression, multiple thoughts running through his mind.

* * *

"Be honest, did you hold back? The way you just poked Ferdinand looked almost comically.", Byleth merely shook his head at Caspar's assumption.

"Well, I'd say this 'poke' still had a very strong force behind it.", Ferdinand grimaced slightly upon recalling the stinging sensation earlier.

The three of them made their way towards the dining hall for the afternoon, although Byleth wondered why the two chose to stay by his side. He didn't dislike their company, but he also didn't feel the need to say anything either…

"Do you know what is being served today?", Ferdinand asked in curiosity.

"I always want to surprise myself, I never try to catch a glimpse of it beforehand. What about you, Byleth? Is there anything _you_ would like in particular?", pondering about the sudden question, he tried to recall anything that might have been able to be considered special in terms of a meal, but as they entered the dining hall and he caught a glimpse of what was partly already standing at some tables, anything that he remembered paled in comparison.

"I will take whatever is being offered."

"That's the spirit! I always say, eat as much as you can and you will never run out of energy to train!", a new voice suddenly spoke up from beside them before a rather broad student approached them, looking at Byleth with a friendly expression.

"I haven't seen you yet, but Claude surely likes to talk about you. I'm Raphael, nice to meet you!", Caspar and Ferdinand merely regarded the two for a moment.

"Well, I can hardly wait to have a good meal, so we'll just take a place already.", Caspar excused the two of them before they went ahead to choose a seat somewhere in the hall. Byleth blinked before he looked back at the unfamiliar student.

"Claude? So you are part of the Golden Deer?"

"Why, yes. I've heard about you when you arrived with your father, I couldn't quite believe it at first that you accepted a place as a student here. You must be very skilled judging by your former life! But enough of that, right? We can't talk about such things when there is a stomach to be filled, today's special meal looks fantastic! You should try it out, the staff truly always gives their best.", with that, he turned around and left for to fetch something for himself. Byleth looked over towards the small counter near the kitchen which was filled with plates for everyone to take, the vegetables and meat that were being offered causing his own hunger to slowly show itself.

…

Byleth choose a seat more secluded within the hall, placing his plate down onto the table before he took a seat. It was an opportunity for him to go over today's training session again, he realized that these couldn't hurt to improve his abilities further. If anything, he even found himself enjoying it out of some reason. Whenever the word 'training' came into mind, he would be reminded of the usual stoic and routine sparring he would have with his father, or in rare cases with one of the other mercenaries. He didn't mind, and improving his skills was something he never minded as well, but compared with these sessions, today's training was so much different somehow… what was it that made the students be the cause for such things to become more enjoyable? What was different about them?

Being caught up in his own thoughts, he failed to realize the other presence beside him.

"Excuse me, would you mind if I take a seat here?", the sudden interruption broke his train of thoughts as he glanced up to see Edelgard standing beside him with a plate of her own. Taken aback slightly, he simply nodded with a curt 'go ahead' before he took a small bite from the meat.

"Thank you.", taking a seat just opposite of him, she placed her plate down and picked a small vegetable. The sudden company made Byleth slightly more aware of his surroundings, and he couldn't help but wonder why she chose to take a seat next to him. Didn't she wanted to be in the company of the others?

"What do you think of everyone so far?", Edelgard had a curious glint in her eyes as she glanced up at him.

"I don't know you all for long, but I enjoy my time with you all very much.", Byleth spoke honestly, his gaze slightly directed on his plate as he replied. A small smile appeared on her lips as he said that.

"I'm glad to hear that.", Edelgard slowly picked another vegetable before Byleth shifted his gaze back towards her.

"What about you?", the sudden question caused her to halt in her motion before she tilted her head slightly.

"I… I am just curious. You have been very kind to me, and yet I don't know anything about you, but I would like to."

She regarded him for a long moment before a glint appeared in her eyes.

"In that case, what can I say about me…? Many people see me as distant, cold, arrogant even. But it can't be helped. As the future Emperor, I have to focus on my training. What else is there to say… well, it might only be me but… I think we both may have similar personalities.", Byleth's eyes widened slightly, surprised at her own description. Why would others see her like that…? He didn't know what else to say but Edelgard was seemingly content with the silence that hung in the air as she picked a slice of meat, a small smile still on her face. Byleth resumed with his own meal as he continued his thoughts, oblivious to the glances she gave him from time to time.

"By the way, I forgot to mention that at this month's end there will be a mock battle that is being held to test the skill of the three houses and our own current abilities as well. While I'm confident that we surpass the other houses, we should do all we can to prepare. Perhaps more training sessions such as these are in order to hone our abilities even further…", she paused for a brief moment before she glanced back into his eyes.

"Besides, I'm glad that you will he fighting alongside with us. I find that we fought well together during our training.", she spoke calmly while she looked at him.

He didn't hear of that before, he was sure his father was going to mention this sometime along the next week. Or he didn't know about it yet himself… as he pondered about it, it wasn't long until this mock battle would take place, with today excluded there were only three days left then.

"Will the the teachers be fighting alongside with us as well then?", Byleth curiously imagined his father fighting with them, would that be… uneven odds?

"I don't see why they shouldn't be, I'm sure the Academy would like to see the progress of our teachers as well. But with the recent addition of your father… it remains to be seen.", picking another vegetable, Edelgard savored the taste of the meal. This would turn out to be interesting for all of them. Byleth was also partially interested to see how the lessons starting the next week would turn out to be, he was strangely all the more excited for the following weeks to come…

Despite all of this, he constantly had to remind himself that he had only been here for less than a single week… and yet, it all started to feel like second nature to him.


	4. The Mock Battle

Jeralt ended his lesson for the day before everyone got up from their seats to leave the classroom, either to take their time and hone their abilities further or enjoy a bit of their free time for the rest of the day. Byleth noted with slight interest that Linhardt and the black haired student he still didn't know suddenly sat beside each other for this lesson, and the tension that seemed to radiate between them was apparent enough for everyone else in the room to notice, but still, they choose to sit beside each other. He wondered what happened the other day while they weren't at the training session…

But it was not the main thing that once again made him ponder too much during the lesson, causing him to miss some parts of it.

…

_The classroom slowly filled with the students as they arrived sooner or later, Jeralt looking onto a parchment on his table as he looked through some notes, waiting for everyone to arrive before he would start. Byleth in turn choose to read through a book depicting the three different nations and their history, although he didn't take the time to read through everything, only stopping at things that caught his interest. As it was, he mainly focused on the Adrestian Empire and its vast history. It would take him a very long time if he had decided to go through every detail… for a brief second he considered asking Edelgard if she wouldn't mind giving him a brief summary of its history. But somehow the thought didn't seem… right to him. He disliked the thought of wasting her time when he could read through it himself… _

_"I see you are interested in the Empire's history.", the sudden interruption surprised him slightly as he looked beside him to see Edelgard choosing to place her things beside his own and take a seat near him, glancing at the open book with interest. _

_"If you like, I'd be happy to provide you with any information you are interested in.", the seemingly response to his unasked question made him stare for a moment before he shifted his gaze away slightly to ponder about her offer. _

_He didn't forget the slight stare his father gave them for the rest of the lesson. _

…

Edelgard got up together with Byleth, her gaze fixated as she seemed to ponder about something. As they both left the classroom as the last ones once again, she shifted her gaze towards him.

"This lesson was rather… interesting, was it not? I can see the importance of allies, they can be crucial… however, what if these allies are not to be trusted? If they would seek to stab you in the back once they have no more use for you?", Byleth listened to her words, letting them go through his mind for a long moment. Edelgard didn't once shift her gaze away from him, instead, she turned slightly towards him.

"Imagine the only way to reach your goal would be to ally yourself with such people, would you do it still?", she made no attempt to hide the pure curiosity in her voice as she patiently waited for his reply. Though… was it only curiosity? He never knew what kind of thoughts crossed her mind, especially right now.

"... no.", if her tone wasn't curious before, her expression was definitely reflecting it now. But as much as he pondered about this question, he couldn't find another conclusion.

"No. I could not stand it, if that were truly the only way to reach my goal, I would rather try to rely on my own strength, even if it would doom myself.", after the last words left his mouth, Byleth blinked in surprise at his own sentence, wondering what had caused him to reveal more than he wanted. But suddenly another thought came through his mind.

"But why would that be necessary? I am sure that there would always be a person that would truly understand and help me, I would only have to find the right people.", he didn't think long about his words as he spoke his mind, not realizing Edelgard's intense stare while he was letting his words go through his mind again.

"... I see."

* * *

The remaining two days went past quickly before the Mock battle stood at the center of attention as the Black Eagles stood assembled inside of the classroom, waiting for Jeralt to explain the last rules and conditions to win the event. Byleth had seen the others train whenever they could for this, and he was no exception. When he thought about it, this was the first time he felt like he fought with… an allegiance, even though this was merely a test for their skills and not a true battle. He felt obliged to give his best for them…

"As I've already mentioned, the goal is simple. The house that manages to fight off and prevail over the other two will win, and for this Mock fight the students of the other groups are allowed to assist you in this fight. You are representing the entirety of your house, so you'll have many of the others look up to you in the upcoming battle. Anyone has any questions so far?", Jeralt looked through the little group as a few murmurs were exchanged.

"You _are _going to be fighting alongside with us, right?", Linhardt questioned to which the others looked at Jeralt.

"While that shouldn't be any reason for you to feel secure, I will. And so will the teachers of the other two houses.", as his first comment seemingly went through one ear and through the other as he saw the eased expression of some of the students, Linhardt in particular, he quickly added.

"But I should warn you, I don't feel so well today, it _might _affect my performance. And I didn't get much sleep either, maybe I will trip over something…", Byleth glanced with surprise towards his father, a small curve forming on his lips as he heard his father humour the others. When was the last time he attempted to do such a thing…?

Edelgard witnessed the small smile that graced his face, a glint appearing in her eyes.

"Now if there aren't any questions left, I will give you instructions. Even though this isn't a training session anymore, I will assign all of you a group of students to assist you. The other houses will most likely do the same, so this will be a fine opportunity to improve your sense of authority. We have about an hour left to prepare, you can use the time to do a few last exercises."

"We'll show them what we're made of! I'll go train the last moments.", Caspar held his fist into the air before he rushed out of the classroom, intent to go and grab the next best axe he could find. Ferdinand looked after him before his expression turned determined.

"I could use the last few moments to prepare as well.", one after another the students left the classroom to go and prepare themselves. However, before Byleth could decide for himself what to do, his father called for him and Edelgard to stay for a moment.

"I've been thinking for a while how we can best approach the other houses, and I decided that you two are going to sneak past the main chaos and towards the Golden Deer to try and catch either Manuela or their house leader off guard. Meanwhile, we will try and focus our attention on both of the houses to pull them towards us. With any luck, the other two houses will weaken themselves enough for us to be able to finish them if you succeed.", the questioning glances Jeralt received in response were expected. Especially Edelgard was looking back at him with an analysing expression.

"I don't exactly excel in stealth, perhaps there are-"

"I'm still very confident that you can take a lot of work from us, we will try and make it as easy for you as possible.", without waiting for a response, Jeralt departed from the classroom. Edelgard was left standing behind with her sentence openly hanging in the air. Byleth on the other hand was slightly taken aback by the sudden request, even more so since his father had not made any indication before of what he had in mind.

"That was… unexpected.", Byleth muttered as he looked at the ground, having to think over his previous plans for the battle. What had driven his father to make such a sudden decision? He knew that Jeralt never did anything without a purpose and it was usually up to himself to try and figure out what it was.

"Certainly. Such a decision is… risky at best. But I trust that he had his reasons and thought this through.", Edelgard slowly shifted her gaze towards him, her expression unreadable while Byleth was still deep in thought. The house leader was… troubled, at best. She didn't like using such methods when she would rather face the other two houses head on, and yet…

She somehow wasn't as opposed to this idea as she thought she would be, in fact, she fully believed that they would be able to succeed without trouble.

The sudden footsteps that approached them caught the attention of the two as another student entered the classroom whom Byleth recognized as the last house leader that he hadn't had the chance to properly meet yet.

"I apologize if I should have interrupted anything important. I just wanted to wish you good luck for the upcoming battle, I am sure it will be a great opportunity for us all to test our skills.", Edelgard regarded the prince with sharp eyes.

"Dimitri. We appreciate it, but it won't be necessary. I am confident that we will prevail no matter what, isn't that right Byleth?", she smiled suddenly at Byleth, pure confidence now reflecting in her eyes. The sudden change in demeanor came as a slight surprise as Edelgard waited for a confirmation while Dimitri now turned his attention towards him as well.

"Of course. We won't lose.", he couldn't help but notice her smile deepening slightly.

"Is that so? Well, we will also fight fair and with honor. With that said, we will fight to win.", despite the small rivalry between them, Dimitri's expression turned friendly before he continued, changing the topic to what he originally wished to talk about.

"But with the upcoming battle aside, that was not the reason I actually came here. The last time we met, I didn't even have the courtesy to introduce myself to you, did I? For that, I sincerely apologize. Although I wish we could have met again sooner, I'm happy to see that you have managed to settle into your new life here at the monastery.", his gaze shifted ever so slightly as he glanced towards Edelgard out of the corner of his eyes.

"And I can also see that you have chosen to join the Black Eagle house. I can imagine that it must still be quite stressful, having to change your life so quickly and suddenly. Do you like your current position here?", as the question hang openly in the air, Edelgard glanced back at Byleth, her expression having suddenly turned more serious.

"Everyone is treating me as if I had been here for a long time, I wouldn't ever regret my decision.", Dimitri's eyes widened slightly at his immediate answer.

"That is what matters the most, I'm glad to hear that. However, I'm afraid I have to leave for our own meeting as well. Byleth, Edelgard. Please be careful out there.", with that, Dimitri turned and left the two of them alone again.

"... thank you.", her sudden words caused him to look at Edelgard with a tilt of his head.

"What for?"

"For holding such a high opinion of us."

* * *

The Archbishop along with her advisor stood atop of a large hill overseeing the three different houses that were soon going to clash against each other. Behind them, the knights of Seiros played the trumpets that signalled the upcoming start. In preparation, three ceremonial knights were holding the different banners of each house, waiting for a winner to emerge and declare one of the houses as victorious. As the knights ended the small hymn, a small smile appeared on the Archbishop's face.

"Do you truly think it was wise to allow a former knight that disappeared out of unknown reasons to participate in this battle? I am simply… worried about the lack of information we possess about him."

"Seteth, we have already discussed this topic multiple times. There is nothing to worry about concerning our former captain, I place my trust in both him _and _his child. You should do so as well.", Lady Rhea spoke calmly while not diverging her watchful gaze from the large field down below.

"... very well, I trust in your Judgement.", Seteth turned towards the knights and signalled them to play one last time.

"Signal the Mock battle to begin!"

…

The distant commotion of weapons clashing against each other and orders being issued were apparent as Edelgard and Byleth sticked to the new plan and sneaked through the dense part of the small forest, going about unnoticed by a few students of the Golden Deer who crossed their path once in a while since they were already inside of their original starting point. Edelgard had already stated as much that she was not very adept in any kind of stealth, and judging by the slight frown she was wearing as they quietly moved forward, neither was she enjoying it in any way. On the other hand, Byleth couldn't say for himself that his view differed in any way from her own…

A hand suddenly jerked him back as a wooden arrow narrowly missed him, hitting a tree beside him instead. Not wasting a second, Edelgard held her axe to her side as she watched the bushes and trees closely, narrowing her eyes when a figure emerged from the shadows. Byleth was slightly surprised when he heard a deep sigh.

"I've been following you around for a while now and, Byleth, as much as I like you, I can't hit her properly if you are always standing in the way.", although Claude faked a disappointed expression, his voice was filled in the same humorous way that Byleth had gotten used to. Edelgard, however, grasped her axe with more force for each second that passed as she regarded the future Alliance leader.

"I would prefer if you returned from where you came from once we've dealt with you.", her tone was hiding her annoyance as she mocked him.

"You know, I was actually quite surprised myself when I saw her Highness sneaking past the main battle to try and get an advantage, I wouldn't have seen that coming. It _definitely _doesn't suit you.", Claude shot back with a cocky grin before he shifted his attention towards Byleth instead, ignoring Edelgard's annoyed stare as Byleth took an offensive position beside her.

"I was hoping I'd meet you alone in a secluded area! We could've talked a bit while the others were busy fighting. But Edelgard seems to have a way of spoiling any kind of niceties, so let's just get right to it, shall we?", he swirled the arrow in his hand in a circle. Byleth's expression remained unfazed as he regarded Claude closely, the latter losing a bit of his smile upon seeing that Byleth was seemingly not even acknowledging his words. He suppressed another sigh, he didn't even get a single smile from him…

Edelgard didn't like the situation, as foolish as Claude was, she also knew better than to think he would just present himself in such a vulnerable position.

"We should be careful.", Byleth was having the same kind of thought as he glanced around the area before he saw Edelgard looking back at him, giving him a nod. Claude watched the small exchange with interest, a small smirk forming on his face instead.

He would have to do the same.

Both Edelgard and Byleth charged forward while Claude remained on his position, seemingly unaffected by the incoming attack.

"Alright, but seeing that this is two against one, the odds are hardly fair…", he spoke with a louder tone to which nothing happened. As his opponents came all the more closer, he shifted his gaze around the environment with slight irritation.

"... hello? That was the signal… if you couldn't tell…?", he exclaimed louder this time before suddenly a blast of wind magic erupted between Claude and the other two, forcing them back up. Two more figures stepped out from between the trees, making their way towards Claude's site.

"Oh dear, I'm very sorry. I didn't know Hilda was so interested in some of my performances that we were simply caught up for a moment.", Manuela spoke apologetically as she let the reaming magic fade from her hand.

"Ohhh, I promise this won't happen again!", the student in question exclaimed with a grin as she swirled her handaxe. Claude held a hand to his head while avoiding direct eye contact with Edelgard and Byleth, who were merely watching the scene with shared irritation.

"You are unbelievable…", with another small sigh, his confident attitude returned before he suddenly fired another wooden arrow towards Edelgard, the latter barely managing to dodge it with a step to the side.

"I'd say the odds are more even now, wouldn't you agree?", and with that, Hilda stormed forward towards Byleth to engage him.

"Hey, we haven't met yet, have we? I'm Hilda, very pleased to meet you!", the energetic student casually exclaimed while swinging her wooden axe at him, causing him to jump backwards slightly. He saved his words as he now had a better picture of her fighting style before he let her approach him again.

Edelgard on the other hand narrowly dodged another arrow as she tried to help Byleth, finding Claude and Manuela trying to keep her from interfering.

Narrowing her eyes, Edelgard quickly formed a plan in her mind as she rushed towards the other house leader instead, keeping her gaze focused on him. Claude took a step back as he aimed another arrow at her, concentrating while Edelgard recklessly charged towards him.

"She certainly faces her opponents directly, no matter if they are standing a mile away with bow and magic at the ready.", Manuela exclaimed with slight bewilderment before Claude released the arrow, sending it flying towards her. Suddenly a smirk appeared on Edelgard's face.

She stopped in her approach and stepped to the side at the last moment, letting the arrow fly past her and into the unsuspecting student that was currently keeping Byleth busy. Hilda cried out at the sudden piercing sensation in her back before another blow from Byleth's wooden sword knocked the wind out of her, causing her to kneel on the ground.

"Ouch! Was that really necessary…?"

Claude's eyes widened in shock and frustration at his mistake before Byleth moved past Hilda to join Edelgard again, both of them now charging towards their remaining opponents.

"For once, I agree. The odds are very good.", Edelgard couldn't help but smirk with determination. Seeing Manuela charge another Nosferatu aimed towards Edelgard, Byleth quickly moved to try and land a hit on her, forcing her to delay her spell. Seeing the opportunity he gave her, Edelgard relished in the helplessness that was hiding behind Claude's expression as he tried to aim another arrow at her, albeit both of them knew that it was useless in such a close distance.

"Hey, heads up! There's a rat beside your Imperial feet!"

"BWAH! W-where!?", Edelgard jumped in alarm as she frantically looked around herself for any sign of the small devils, her shock turning into irritation and anger upon hearing Claude chuckle wholeheartedly.

"Just kidding. I didn't think that was going to work.", Claude couldn't keep his arms steady as he tried to control his amusement, adding to the frustration that grew on Edelgard's face in return. However, said frustration immediately turned into satisfaction when Claude's chuckling was cut short when Byleth hit him from behind, causing him to grown in slight pain upon the force of the attack as he held a hand on his back. Shifting his gaze over to Manuela, he merely saw her kneeling on the ground in defeat as well. Realization hit him as hard as the sudden blow he had received a mere moment ago.

"I guess we won't be winning _this_ round…"

Before any of them could say another word, the sudden sound of trumpets in the distance caused everyone to gaze up onto the hill where the Archbishop oversaw the whole fight, and along with it, a big banner was now flying in the wind as well, a grand Black Eagle covering its front.

They had won.

* * *

Byleth watched his classmates celebrate their victory as they exchanged their experiences during the mock fight.

"This was certainly a boost in morale for them, as well as an exhausting day. How are you holding up?", Jeralt asked from beside him.

"I feel good. I feel like I can share in this victory.", the joyous expressions and laughter from the students were almost infectious the longer Byleth regarded them.

"Really? You know, I'm glad you feel so connected to these kids. When we arrived here, I couldn't help but feel that all of this would be too much, but… it seems I can leave these worries behind.", a small smile formed on Jeralt's face. Upon receiving no further response from Byleth, he glanced to see what was occupying his thoughts.

Byleth regarded Edelgard who, unlike the others, was merely watching them from the side as well, wearing a content expression. Jeralt remained silent and decided to leave the students celebrating for the rest of the evening, he knew that he needed a bit of rest after watching over them for the entirety of the fight. It was something he would still have to get used to, if a real battle were to occur, he would have to do better in watching over them. They weren't his mercenaries, they didn't know the cruelty and unforgivingness of a true battle yet…

Byleth glanced back towards his father as he turned to leave the classroom without attracting too much attention. He could imagine that it was a bit much for his father as well…

He shifted his gaze back again as he heard somebody approach him, seeing Edelgard joining him.

"It was not easy, but I think our victory should come as no surprise.", she spoke up as she regarded Byleth with a small smile.

"We all worked together."

"True, and I believe we did so especially well, just as I believed we would.", her eyes shifted to the ground suddenly as she pondered about her next words before she looked back up at him, her smile having suddenly vanished.

"I haven't said it yet, but there is something I would like you to do. Even if I may be the Imperial princess, here at the monastery, I am only a student like everyone else.", she paused for a moment, glancing away for the briefest of seconds before she looked back at him.

"All I would ask you is to treat me as you would… the others.", Byleth looked at her for a long moment before he nodded, allowing a small smile on his face.

And with that, her own smile came back as well.


	5. The Flame Emperor

"Your mission this month will be to clear out a group of bandits. I believe I don't have to remind you, but _this _will not be a mere mock fight. The students will see the cruelty of battle for the first time, keep this in mind. It would be wise to use the time to prepare them for what is to come.", Seteth advised both Jeralt and Edelgard about the next assignment that the Black Eagles would have to carry out.

"Of course, I will see to it in the following weeks. I wouldn't sleep well either if something were to happen to one of them.", Jeralt sighed slightly as he imagined the possible scenarios. For the sake of them being innocent brats as well, he would protect and watch over them. Even if he wouldn't admit it, it reminded him of when Byleth had been part of his own first battle, the fear that would grip Jeralt and the constant need to watch over him… it was almost as if these times were about to repeat themselves.

"I'm glad to hear that, the welfare of the students is the first priority of the Archbishop, and so it falls to you to guide them as best as you can in these times. I will provide you with more information at the end of the month.", with that, Seteth turned and left the hall.

Edelgard on the other hand had listened to every word and pondered about her own thoughts before she suddenly broke the silence.

"The same bandits that attacked us at the village… it seems we will be able to avenge ourselves.", Jeralt kept silent as he stared at the ground slightly.

"However, if there is nothing that requires our attention for now, I would attend to some matters that I need to take care of.", suddenly, Jeralt's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, unbeknownst to the house leader that glanced at him for anything that he might have to add.

"Right, I'll leave you all to rest for the upcoming week, for now there is nothing else to do.", Edelgard gave a curt nod before she turned around to leave the hall as well, not sparing a second glance at him. He merely looked after her for a brief moment before he closed his eyes, thinking about his own plans for the day. Lessons were not on the plan for today, and the students would most likely just enjoy their weekend… which reminded him that he should perhaps still inform them beforehand what was going to be their next mission. But finding them strolling around the monastery would take some time for him…

He decided that the house leader would have more contact with them anyway, so he quickly went after her to add the little detail. Now he would have to find her as well for a start, but she couldn't have gotten too far, right?

…

After about half an hour of doing nothing but searching around the monastery, he took back what he thought. By the time he would find her, he would have already found every other student and told them himself. He stopped in his tracks for a moment in the middle of the dormitory area and sighed, choosing to try his luck at her own quarters. During his little search he had made a mental note to himself to make an effort to learn at least parts of the students' habits if he were ever to find himself in such a situation again.

Approaching the wooden door, he halted when he saw Hubert out of the corner of his eyes, the black haired student watching him closely as he walked by before he stopped, not averting his gaze.

"Can I be of help to you?", Jeralt turned and regarded him briefly.

"You wouldn't happen to know where your house leader is, would you?", Jeralt asked in a neutral way, unimpressed by the piercing stare Hubert gave his way.

"I'm afraid Lady Edelgard is busy at the moment.", now Jeralt raised his brows slightly, he was sure that whatever she was doing he could take a brief moment of her time.

"Really now? If that's the case, I only need a minute.", before he could turn to the door and knock, Hubert interrupted him again.

"She is not here right now. Whatever it is that you need, it will have to wait until she returns.", now a small suspicion began to rise as Jeralt pondered about his next words carefully, testing his theory.

"Returns? She is not at the monastery right now?"

"Yes, Lady Edelgard has been away for several hours already, but if you like I can relay your message to her once she returns."

"Alright then, simply tell the others that our next mission this month will turn out to be a serious fight against a group of bandits. They should keep that in mind for the following weeks."

"I'll be sure to spread the message.", Hubert gave a curt nod before he resumed his walk and took his leave. However, Jeralt's eyes narrowed as he let the recent information go through his mind again, connecting one with another.

_'So she left now? Curious, when he had seen her merely under an hour ago… what was it with the secrecy?' _

XxxxxxxX

Byleth found himself standing inside of Hannemann's quarters as the old scholar had asked him for a favor of allowing him to research the possibility of Byleth having a crest. He was particularly curious why the scholar was so interested in wanting to know whether or not he possessed one, and further more was he curious about what crests actually _were_. Hannemann had stared at him in a way as if he had seen a ghost once Byleth revealed his lack of knowledge about a seemingly obvious topic, but it was quickly replaced by an understanding expression. He had taken his time to explain the powers and variety of crests in great detail, for which Byleth was very grateful.

"Now, I promise this test will do no harm, you just have to hold your hand still…", Byleth complied as Hannemann moved a device over his right hand, holding it in place. For a brief moment Byleth wondered if having such a token would be possible, but he quickly let that thought go as he waited. He would have at least noticed at some point before and he couldn't remember anything out of the ordinary from any of his past experiences…

"What is that…?", Byleth snapped out of his thoughts when he focused on the device again, a strange looking pattern now hovering beneath its surface.

"I've never seen anything like this… I _must _investigate this further.", pulling the device away again, Hannemann turned around towards a bookshelf, looking through its contents while muttering to himself. Byleth merely remained standing there for a long moment, not sure whether or not he should say something or not. He blinked his eyes upon seeing that the scholar was seemingly caught up in his own thoughts and slowly took a step towards the door, turning back once for a brief moment before he silently left.

…

"That was not part of the deal! Nobody ever said something about the knights of Seiros being on our damn trail!", Kostas glared at the masked figure standing in front of him, blaming the one who gave the order in the first place for his misery.

"You have proven yourself worthless, getting distracted by something so trivial. I was hoping you would achieve your goal despite the setback, but instead, you disregarded my order of not interfering with those I have mentioned.", the only thing that seemed to get through the emotionless mask was the venom in the figure's voice, uncaring of the situation the bandit leader found himself in.

"All I was told was to kill as many noble pipsqueaks as possible! Now what are we gonna do?"

"You die."

"W-what?", the angry expression crumbled as Kostas took in the meaning of the two words, his arms starting to shiver slightly. The being in front of him, however, remained unfazed as if it were obvious.

"Underestimating the knights was a grave mistake, one that you will pay for with your life. Now, I'm afraid I must return my attention to more important matters, perhaps I will have no need for a replacement…", before Kostas could utter another word in protest, the figure disappeared in a brief crimson light, leaving him alone to his inevitable fate inside of the Red Canyon.

"Wait! C-come back here…! Damn you!"

XxxxxxxX

Byleth calmly walked down the dormitory area and towards the large Greenhouse, deciding to use his free spare time to explore the rest of the monastery that he hadn't been able to see yet. As he had made his way there, he couldn't help but recall the first time he navigated through the different halls and areas with an overwhelming feeling of confusion and helplessness, compared with his now more familiar view of the monastery. It gave him an… interesting sensation, one that he couldn't quite place somewhere.

He took a quick glance around to see the area devoid of any of his own classmates before he returned his attention to the Greenhouse.

"Hey, Byleth! Over here!", looking up in surprise, he shifted his gaze to the origin of the voice, recognizing the light and casual tone of it. Claude approached him from behind in a small jog before waving his hand in a greeting.

"So here you are, I've been looking for you.", he glanced slightly at the Greenhouse behind Byleth before he returned his attention towards him with a smile.

"Oh, I didn't know you liked gardening. I should try it myself, it has a very calming effect."

"I haven't been here before, I wanted to see it."

"Well if that's the case, we could both try it out sometime. But-"

"-that was not what you are here for…?", Byleth caught on onto his effort of trying to socialize before stating his actual intentions. After a small pause, Claude closed his eyes briefly with a knowing smile.

"Looking right through me, no? Well, to be honest, I was hoping to ask you for a favor.", Byleth raised his brows slightly but remained quiet, waiting for him to continue.

"You see, we have a small assignment that requires us to go into the territory of the Western Church which lies at the border between the Empire and the Kingdom. According to some rumors, there is said to be a movement against the Archbishop. Although they are just rumors, Seteth was still worried about a possible rebellion and that the current tension between the two parts would escalate.", Byleth tried his best not to appear oblivious to what he was talking about, but in the end, there was no way around it.

"The Western Church…?", Claude raised his brows only for a brief second before he smiled reassuringly at him.

"Oh, sorry, I should have explained. Since the Church has a wide area of influence, it is divided into different sections in order for it to function as a whole. Although the monastery is the main seat of the church, the other sections function as an own and individual part, which makes it not so unlikely for a rebellion to occur in one of them. Such is the case with the Western Church, if the rumors are true.", Byleth nodded after a pause, thinking about the request without the lack of knowledge this time.

"Why do you need my help in particular?", Claude grinned in response.

"Oh, you know, it isn't uncommon for the different houses to ask for help from one or another if they could need it. Of course, it's entirely up to you, I'd never want to waste your time for something like this, but I thought you might want to come with us on this small assignment… you could perhaps meet the rest of the Golden Deer, they'd be happy to meet you.", there was something else that was going through Claude's mind, Byleth could tell as much…

"It probably won't take longer than a day, you won't miss any parts of the next week, I promise. If you want to ask Jeralt if he needs you for anything during this time, don't worry, I did that beforehand. As I said, you won't miss anything, so it is entirely up to you.", Byleth wondered if it'd be alright for him to leave so suddenly, but seeing that his father had no objections either, he nodded.

Claude smiled back at him with a glint in his eye.

…

Edelgard gave a small sigh as she left her room, quickly taking a glance over her uniform again to make sure that nothing was out of the ordinary. She had some time to spare before she would have to focus on the next matter at hand…

She glanced over towards the room beside her own as she decided to look for him there, first. As she approached the door, however, she took a small step back when it suddenly opened, Jeralt leaving Byleth's room while hanging a small bag onto his back before closing the door again behind him. His eyes widened for a brief second before his expression immediately turned neutral again.

"Do you need something?", Jeralt regarded the house leader closely, wary of her intentions.

"I was wondering if I could have a moment of Byleth's time. Is he there?", Edelgard calmly looked back at their teacher. After a small pause Jeralt merely shook his head before walking past her as he responded.

"I'm afraid he's currently on an assignment with the Golden Deer, their house leader had asked for his help specifically, I left the rest up to himself.", unbeknownst to the mercenary, Edelgard's eyes narrowed ever so slightly in annoyance as she stared at the empty space where Jeralt was standing a moment ago before she quickly turned around.

"Would you by any chance happen to know where they went?", Jeralt stopped in his tracks before he looked back at her. He regarded her expression, seeing the determination that was hiding behind her calm expression.

"Why should that interest you?"

"I would like to be informed if one of the other houses requests for aid, so I would merely like to know what their assignment was.", Edelgard was quick to reply as she patiently waited while Jeralt pondered about it. Yet, after a moment of silence he merely shook his head.

"Then I'm sorry to disappoint you, all I know is that they were investigating rumors concerning a part of the church.", with that, Jeralt turned around again and took his leave, not waiting for a response. Edelgard looked after him for a moment before she shifted her gaze to the ground slightly, the small piece of information was enough for her to know. She looked up again and towards her room as she made up her mind.

It seemed that she would have to take care of it _now_, but perhaps she could use the opportunity still…

XxxxxxxX

"Is it true that Jeralt let you decide which house you two would be going? You should have gone to us!", Byleth merely regarded Leonie silently as she listed all the different things she would have wanted to learn from his father. He was surprised how highly she thought of Jeralt, which made him wonder all the more about his past. He had never told him anything about it, except their life as mercenaries which Byleth had always known.

"Easy there, Leonie, it's not like we are at war with them. Besides, if you ask him nicely, I'm sure he wouldn't mind sharing some techniques with you, after all, he learned them for your idol himself.", she merely gave Claude a small glare but relented anyways, considering the option. In the end, she sighed in defeat.

"Alright, but still, if I had had the chance to meet you sooner, I _would _have changed your mind. But since you're already here with us, I guess that's at least something, right?", Claude smiled upon the change of behavior.

"Now that's the spirit. Anyway, does anyone know why our little group is not complete?", Claude exclaimed as he took a quick glance at every member. Byleth didn't know who else was part of their group but Claude had introduced him to those that were currently with them.

"I've sent both Ignatz and Lorenz on a small… group task. I think they could need it after their performance in the mock fight. As with Marianne and Lysithea, I allowed them to continue their training.", and of course, Byleth had almost forgotten the presence of their teacher. After having reassured him that she was impressed and not annoyedat his _small_ strike he had delivered in their fight, he simply chose to believe in it… for both of their sakes. As if on cue Manuela shifted her attention back towards him, offering a small smile.

"Anyway, I'm glad to have you with us on this small trip. If it were ever to come to it, I'd be delighted to see more of your abilities in a fight."

"I've been looking around everywhere for you! Couldn't find a single trace, and before I knew it, one of those blasted magicians got me.", Raphael exclaimed in a humorous way, not meaning it in any negative way.

"Do be careful what you say about magicians.", the sudden change in Manuela's tone could have sent a chill through one or another, causing Raphael to look nervously back at their teacher with his hands up in defense. Claude gave a small sigh at their behaviour before he looked towards Byleth with a grin.

"Well, as I said, we're a bit more easy going than the others.", Byleth glanced towards him as well before he decided to voice his thoughts, having thought about the actual assignment itself.

"Do we know anything else beside the rumors about the Western Church?", Claude's expression got slightly more serious as he looked to the front again, pondering about it as the question hang openly in the air.

"The Western Church hasn't been subtle in expressing its… views, over the years, regarding the Archbishop and the Central Church. Although it hasn't escalated into any conflicts yet and we don't expect an outright rebellion as of now, we are merely here to get a better look on the situation, so we shouldn't let our guard down.", Manuela responded with a tone that still somehow managed to keep the atmosphere calm, despite the possible chance of getting into a fight once they arrived at their territory.

"Yes, but what I'm concerned about is their numbers. They don't have enough to do any serious damage, which is why openly expressing their opposing views is not the best of decisions. If the rumors should turn out to be true, I don't believe they are operating without any allies.", Claude's expression turned thoughtful for a moment as he looked ahead.

Suddenly a blast of flames erupted in front of the group, causing them to halt immediately and take a step back. Byleth reached for his sword and kept his hold on the hilt as he watched the smoke slowly fade away, revealing a masked figure standing in front of them, along with two magicians wearing white robes. He could hear the others draw their weapons as well while Claude reached for his bow, holding an arrow in his other hand.

Byleth narrowed his eyes as he regarded the masked person, wearing a cloaked armor which was colored in crimson and black.

"I'm afraid I cannot let you pass.", the voice was contorted, matching the monotone expression of the mask he was wearing.

"Is that so? Well, _I'm _afraid we can't just turn around and leave.", Claude casually shot back as he circled his arrow.

"Disregard my warning and you will pay the price for it. I will give you only this chance to go, or you will meet your end if you advance further.", Byleth noted that the two priests behind him almost looked as if they wanted to protest.

"I'll consider it if you tell us who you are."

"There is no need for you to know."

"Really? Maybe it's just that mask that makes you hesitate, so perhaps I'll just rip it off and ask again?", having seemingly heard enough, he motioned for the priests to conjure another Ragnarok which was aimed between Byleth and the rest of the group, creating a gap as the remaining flames burned on the path. He coughed as he drew his own sword, seeing the others engage the two priests.

Suddenly, the smoke around him cleared before he looked ahead to the see the masked figure standing in front of him, regarding him silently. Byleth changed his stance and held his sword in both of his hands as he narrowed his eyes.

"You should turn around.", his eye's widened slightly at the change in tone, having become more quietly, devoid of the force behind the words from a mere moment ago. However, after his brief hesitation, Byleth stood his ground, albeit with an unsure glint in his eyes.

"I am not your enemy. Turn around and leave, I won't harm you. If you wish to inform the Archbishop on your discovery, then you should return. But you must not advance further, for your own sake.", suddenly a crimson light engulfed the figure before it vanished, leaving Byleth to watch the now empty space as he slightly lowered his sword.

"And that's the last of them. A shame for it to happen…", Byleth shifted his attention to the others who looked at the two dead priests on the ground.

"I… I knew this would be inevitable sooner or later, but still…", Leonie looked in slight regret at her bloodied sword, not having expected her first kill to happen so suddenly. Raphael merely sighed and shook his head slightly with a sour mood while Manuela regarded the students along with their fallen opponents.

"Well, I think we have gotten a good enough view of the situation, we should return to the monastery.", the two students merely nodded in agreement before Claude rushed over to Byleth, regarding him with concern reflecting in his eyes.

"Are you alright? I know you have seen all of these things before, but I feared the worst when that guy approached you… where did he go? Did he say anything?"

"He vanished, but he wanted us to leave. I think there is nothing else we should look for, we should return.", Byleth kept the conversation he had to himself, wanting to ponder about it further himself. Who was he…?

"Agreed, those priests were undoubtedly part of the Western Church. I'll inform Seteth once we get back.", with that, the small group turned around to make their way back to the monastery, Byleth taking one last glance to where the figure had been standing before he turned and left as well.

XxxxxxxX

Byleth approached the dormitory with a rather tired expression, the sun having already set as he was intent to get enough sleep after having used the small trip back to ponder about what had happened until his head was starting to hurt.

_"This was certainly not a pleasant experience, especially for those who accompanied you. But I suppose this time it was not your fault for getting into trouble…"_

His eyes widened before he stopped in his tracks upon hearing the sudden voice again in his head, followed by sigh.

_"Don't tell me you have already forgotten what I've said. Just because I can talk with you whenever I want without anyone else hearing me doesn't mean I will constantly talk your ear off, and don't you dare say that's what you expected! So you shouldn't be surprised now. Oh, and I would keep moving, some people are looking."_

Byleth snapped his attention back on his surroundings to see two students walk past him with a questioning glance upon seeing him standing still in the middle of the way. With a small sigh, he kept going.

_"But… I'm as much tired as you are… so I'll just… take a nap as well…"_

As he approached his room at the dormitory, he stopped when suddenly the door to the room next to his opened, Edelgard leaving her own room before she stopped as well upon seeing Byleth.

"There you are! I haven't seen you today.", Edelgard stopped in front of Byleth as she regarded him with a small smile.

"Claude wanted me to accompany him for a small assignment."

"So I've heard. Did anything happen? You look tired…", she looked at him with concern. Byleth paused for a moment as he pondered about whether or not he wanted to share it. But somehow…

"A masked figure stopped us on our way, along with two priests of the Western Church. I don't know his intentions, but I have an uncertain feeling about him. He didn't attack when he approached me…"

…he figured he trusted her enough for it.

Edelgard gazed at Byleth for a long moment before she spoke up again.

"A… masked person? If that's true, then perhaps this was not the last time you have seen him."


	6. Time to Recover

Kostas held his bleeding stomach as he lay on the ground, Edelgard pointing her axe at the fallen bandit leader. Byleth stood behind as he watched the scene, a glare directed at the bandit as well.

"Noble pig…!", Edelgard merely narrowed her eyes while grasping her axe tighter. She turned her head to glance back at Byleth.

"Can you tell the others that we have made it? The remaining bandits will most likely surrender with their leader gone. I will finish this here.", Byleth halted for a moment before he hesitantly nodded, sparing a last glance at the wounded leader before moving away to spread the message of their victory.

Edelgard watched him leave for a brief moment before her expression turned cold as she looked back at Kostas, raising her axe in preparation.

"I told you that you would pay with your life."

He could merely gasp in a last realization before everything turned black.

…

"That experience was a lot to take in for them, but they now have a grasp of what horrors the battlefield is capable of.", Jeralt had a stern expression as he looked at Byleth to see how he was holding up. Byleth took a glance behind to see his classmates sour mood, most of them either looking at the ground or ahead as the recent events undoubtedly went through their mind again and again.

"So much fighting… how can someone be willing to take so many lives with so much blood on their hands…", Dorothea muttered in regret and sadness as she stared at the ground, Linhardt almost putting a hand on her back upon seeing the hurt in her eyes.

"Was all of this r-really necessary? I just want to be home now…", Bernadetta mumbled as well.

"I don't care how many more we would have had to defeat! They were bandits that deserved nothing else.", Caspar was sure in his words, believing that it was a just thing.

"Albeit it was still a shame to see it happen with our own eyes…", Ferdinand couldn't truly decide yet what he should think of the recent battle. Surprisingly, Petra kept quite as she merely looked into the distance, wearing a neutral yet calm expression. And so did Hubert, who was the only one that gave Byleth the impression that he lived without regrets.

Byleth couldn't remember how _he _felt about his first kill, after all the time that went past he wasn't able to discern it anymore from the familiarity of taking another's life. Edelgard was walking alongside Byleth, all the while keeping her gaze directed forward as she pondered about her own thoughts. That was, until she glanced at Byleth before suddenly speaking up.

"It was certainly a tragic experience for everyone to witness the end of those life's by our hands, regardless of them being mere bandits. What do _you_ think about all of this?", she turned her head to look at Byleth with interest, watching him closely.

"It was… necessary. Such is the reality of battle.", she didn't divert her gaze upon his answer, seemingly pondering about it. However, now it was Jeralt's turn to regard the house leader.

"You don't seem to be too taken aback by all of this yourself.", Edelgard shifted her gaze to their teacher, pausing ever so slightly upon seeing the hardened expression.

"Well… do I look exactly green to you?", Byleth blinked twice upon hearing the small humorous undertone as she tried to lighten the mood. Jeralt on the other hand merely looked ahead again, not bothering to reply. Edelgard's expression fell slightly before she looked at the ground, heaving a small sigh which didn't go unnoticed by Byleth.

XxxxxxxX

Once they arrived back at the monastery, Byleth took note of how most of his classmates preferred to either go to their room and try to sleep over the memories of their first fight or distract themselves in another way somehow. As their group disbanded, Jeralt turned towards Byleth.

"That seems to be it for this month, I'll report everything to the Archbishop. And it looks like something else happened as well, that advisor was looking anything but calm, he wants me to talk with Lady Rhea immediately.", the way his father sighed made him suggest that this seemed to be the last thing he wanted to do right now.

"Oh, and…", just as he was about to leave, he turned towards Byleth who in turn regarded him with a questioning gaze.

"If you can find the time, do stop by near the pond at the Greenhouse later, alright? I've thought about something we could do together for a change.", with that, Jeralt took his leave with a small smile, leaving Byleth to be slightly taken aback as he looked after his father. It had been a long time since they had the chance to do something together… what did he have in mind?

Once Jeralt took his leave, Byleth pondered about what he wanted to do now himself, it was an exhausting fight nonetheless. The constant need to focus on everything that moved on the battlefield would take its toll afterwards, he felt the need to simply sit down somewhere quiet… the library was the first place that came into his mind.

…

"If you are calling me here so suddenly, I assume something happened?", Jeralt held a hand on his side as he regarded the Archbishop along with her advisor in front of him, however, he already made his first assumptions as he noticed the house leader of the Blue Lions looking back at him as well.

"Yes, I wouldn't have summoned you here if it weren't of utter importance. It concerns the recent news of an assassination attempt that is being planned on the Rite of Rebirth… and the target seems to be the Archbishop. Thanks to the accomplishment of the Blue Lion house, we can make preparations to increase the security for the upcoming event.", Jeralt raised his brow slightly before he glanced at the house leader.

"How exactly did you find out about such an attempt?", Dimitri gave a respectful bow before he spoke up.

"Our assignment was to quell a rebellion that emerged in the Kingdom's territory, and while it pains me that I couldn't do more to ease the situation and help my people, we were at least able to stop the madness as well as finding a letter on the one who started said conflict, Lord Lonato, depicting a plan to assassinate the Archbishop on the night of the Rite of Rebirth.", Jeralt was well aware of the complications that existed between the Western and the Main Church, and this was by far not an unfamiliar name to him as well.

_"Remember, our next job is in the kingdom, so we'll have to leave soon…"_

He couldn't help but wonder how things could have turned out a lot more differently.

"Lord Lonato…", Lady Rhea regarded the mercenary calmly as he closed his eyes in thought.

"Lord Lonato was working together with the Western Church, and thus, we presume that they are behind this as well. In order to make sure that we don't overlook any security gaps, I want you to position yourself along with your students at your assigned post."

"Wait, don't you think it to be too simple? Leaving a letter on the man who leads a rebellion that is doomed to fail doesn't seem to be a smart move. I would reconsider this. This might only be an attempt to lure our attention away."

"While it may be possible, we cannot take any chances that might endanger the Archbishop. I will make sure that nothing goes by without us noticing."

Jeralt heaved a sigh as he looked at the ground with a frown, he didn't like this one bit.

XxxxxxxX

However small it may seem, the library was still filled to the brim with every possible book that would come to mind, a place of true bliss for those that enjoyed taking their time to study the dozens of books the monastery had to offer. And while the idea was not off putting, Byleth simply enjoyed the fact that nobody wanted to use its services at the moment as he took a seat in a corner, pondering about whatever came into his mind.

With his first month now almost having passed, he could only wonder what the next one would bring along, especially what their next assignment was going to be. In truth, he had underestimated them. At first, he wouldn't have thought that the assignments would involve quelling bandit attacks or the like, and the thought that the students could easily lose their lives on the field at any given time was… even more astonishing to him.

As he let his mind wander a bit, he crossed his arms on the table in front of him and rested his head on top, closing his eyes before sudden steps brought him out of his thoughts.

He looked to the door to see Edelgard entering the library with two small plates in her hands. She briefly scanned the room before her eyes settled on him, approaching him with a small smile.

"I was wondering where you would be, I figured you might like some of this as well…", she placed one of the two plates in front of him along with a fork. The sweet smell of the piece of cake filled the air as Byleth regarded it briefly with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"Thank you, I appreciate it.", Edelgard placed her own next to his before she took a seat in front of him, merely shaking her head slightly.

"Don't mention it. I hope I didn't disturb you, if anything, I am… curious. I was wondering if you would mind telling me a bit more about yourself. You say you are a mercenary, but I feel there must be more to it than just that. What about yourself?", as she regarded him with a curious glint in her eyes, he couldn't help but look away slightly, despite the small smile she gave him. He was unsure how to respond to that.

"What exactly do you want to know…?"

"As a mercenary, you would follow and complete your assigned mission without question, and neither do you pledge yourself to anyone. But I wonder if… did you ever have a certain goal that you _yourself _wanted to accomplish?", almost on instinct he shook his head, thinking about his former life.

"There never was. I made my own thoughts and opinions whenever we were faced with a decision, but there was no reason for me to strive for anything bigger. I was content with what I had…", Byleth didn't notice her regarding him intensely.

"Then maybe you could…", Byleth looked at her questioningly before she suddenly paused, as if becoming aware of what she was just muttering.

"Forgive me, I got slightly carried away.", she took a slice of her cake, glancing at him from time to time while pondering about her next words.

The gesture reminded Byleth of his own piece that she offered him, hesitantly taking a small bite as well before the sweet taste lingered in his mouth, causing his senses to beg for more. He definitely wasn't used to such treats… which increased the value of such simple things all the more for him.

"When you are forced to take lives in order to complete your mission, do you ever regret doing so?", he blinked at the sudden question as Edelgard glanced at him in the same way as before.

"They… they were not on my side… even if I wanted, I couldn't just stand in front of bandits or thieves and try to fulfill our job by reasoning with them. I don't live without regrets.", suddenly her expression softened ever so slightly as she smiled reassuringly at him.

"That is only human, and in the end, if we don't force things to go our way, we will never be able to achieve our goals. You said that you never desired anything else beside what you already have… are you living the life you envisioned for yourself?", Byleth opened his mouth to reply before he paused, a sudden seed of doubt spreading in his mind.

Was he?

Did he ever picture something outside of his life as a mercenary?

The independence, the simplicity, and the ability to see things from a neutral side that came with it… and yet, there was that one gap that questioned where he truly belonged to.

Did he even…?

"You don't have to answer, this question was simply… too far fetched, I apologize.", she savored the last piece of her cake before she laid the fork onto the small plate, cupping it into both of her hands as she slowly got up from her seat.

"Anyway, I'm glad that I had the chance to speak with you, it was very enjoyable. I do hope we can repeat this anytime soon.", Byleth watched her for a second as she took her leave before looking at the ground in thought, pondering about her words.

Unbeknownst to him, Edelgard smiled to herself as she left the library.

XxxxxxxX

Edelgard left the dining hall after giving back her dishes, walking down the stairs before she suddenly overheard something that immediately caught her attention.

"... he would surely take it into consideration if you were to propose it to him."

"You should never rush such things, take it slow and build a lasting friendship before you decide anything. I will, but in time. There are yet so many things I don't know about Byleth.", narrowing her eyes, she glanced to see Claude conversing with Leonie about something which she desperately hoped she had misheard.

"Fine, but eventually, you should ask him whether or not he would consider joining our house instead.", Edelgard froze in place as Leonie left Claude to his own thoughts.

That crossed a line.

Claude didn't notice her approaching him from the side until she stopped in front of him, causing him to look up at her.

"I guess I shouldn't expect you to approach me if something weren't wrong?"

"In that sense, you are right for once.", she watched him with a cool expression as it slowly dawned on him what might be the reason for her approach.

"You didn't just overhear something, did you?"

"And if I just so happened to?"

"Then this would probably mean that I should take my leave, so if you'll excuse me-"

"I will give you only one warning, don't even think about attempting this. You will regret it.", her eyes narrowed upon seeing him shrug it off with his usual smile.

"You're making it sound like he didn't have a choice in this matter. Are you really that obsessed with all of your classmates? I was simply hoping to get to know him a little more."

"And sway him to join your house while you are at it?", Claude merely heaved a sigh before chuckling lightly.

"Do we have to fight for this now?", his humorous expression slowly faded away upon seeing her glare.

"Is that a challenge?"

XxxxxxxX

When Jeralt had proposed doing something together, this was not what Byleth would have expected in any way. But thinking back on it, he could have guessed as much…

"Why fishing?", Jeralt seemed to contently regard the small pond before he glanced at Byleth with a hint of a grin.

"I thought we could use the time, given how rarely there is an opportunity…", it almost looked ironic for Byleth as the both of them stood side by side, doing nothing but staring at the small pond while waiting for anything to bite on their fishing rod. He could almost feel the glances they were sure to receive from whomever walked past them from behind…

"Oh, have you already caught something big? I was curious if somebody were by any chance fishing at the moment.", both looked up and towards the sudden interruption almost simultaneously as they saw a small girl with light green hair approaching them, wearing a cheery expression.

"Pardon my interruption, but I think we haven't even met yet! I know almost everyone around here, and I haven't seen you before somewhere else-"

"Flayn! Please, how many times do I need to remind you not to just run off.", Byleth glanced behind her to see Seteth approaching them as well.

"I'm sorry, Brother, but I couldn't help myself this time! If I may ask, who are you?", Flayn directed her attention back towards the two mercenaries.

"These are our new professor and student at the Academy, they have only spent their first few weeks here."

"I'm so very pleased to meet you! My name is Flayn, and by now it is very exciting to see new faces around here, even though I am not a student myself as of now.", she gave them a warm smile before Seteth suddenly seemed to remember something as he looked back at the two.

"But since we are already here, would you mind if you could help me with a favor? It concerns my little sister.", until now, both Byleth and Jeralt had kept quiet as they simply watched the scene, the latter heaving a sigh upon seeing the fish disband away from their baits at the sudden interruption.

"Well, if it doesn't exactly include catching some fish then I'm afraid we won't be of much-"

"Actually, that is precisely what I wanted to request. If it isn't too much trouble, would you consider catching a few fish for my sister?", at this, Jeralt's face fell slightly while Flayn immediately looked back at her brother with a shocked expression.

"W-wait, all I wished to ask for was a single fish, not multiple ones!"

"I simply want to make sure, and if it will become too much, we can still keep them for another time.", Seteth suddenly chuckled much to their confusion before Flayn slightly tilted her head.

"Too much…? What else did you intend to do?"

"I have taken it upon myself to turn it into a small event, with everyone in the monastery being welcome to catch as many fish as they can manage.", in contrast to Seteth's content expression, Flayn looked as if the words died in her throat as she stared at her brother in disbelief, the first participating students already borrowing fishing rods at the small stand near the pond. If Jeralt's face could have fallen even more, Byleth was sure he would have covered it with a simply sigh.

"Well, so much for having the time to ourselves…", Byleth's lips curled upwards slightly with an amused glint in his eye.

"Captain! When was the last time I have seen you fishing, it must have been ages!", now Jeralt couldn't hold back a groan as he let his head hanging to the ground. The loud exclamation once again managed to scare away the fish just fine that were just curiously regarding Byleth's bait. A grin formed on his face as he closed his eyes. Alois halted beside Jeralt before he threw his bait into the water as well with an enthusiastic yell, seemingly not having quite grasped the concept of fishing. Suddenly, a grin formed on Jeralt's face as well as he looked up again with a hum.

"... but we might as well win this small tournament while we're at it, right?", upon that, Byleth opened his eyes with a confident expression.

XxxxxxxX

"This didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped.", the sun was beginning to set as Jeralt and Byleth walked up the dormitory area.

"I think there was not much we could have done.", Byleth still had a relaxed expression even though they had spent hours of not catching a single fish while the other participants didn't seem to have such a lack of success.

"True, I wonder why that was the case… Alois was so generous in using his _quiet _voice."

Byleth hummed, picturing the fish that were scattering away every time the knight striked up another conversation. And yet, the whole experience was still so very much enjoyable as he relished in simply listening to what the two were conversing about, taking in their words with interest.

As they approached Byleth's own room, Jeralt looked back at him with a more serious expression.

"I'll announce our mission for the next month tomorrow to everyone, but since you are already here, I might as well tell you now. An important event will take place at the end of said month, the Rite of Rebirth. Basically it's a large assembly of many of the Church's followers, as well as the Archbishop giving a speech to them. Which is why the main attention of the knights will be on making sure that nothing happens during this time, and so will we. At least, that would be the case if we wouldn't have caught wind of a planned assassination attempt on the Archbishop."

"How so?"

"The Western Church wasn't subtle in hiding their plans… which is all the more reason to assume that they want us to believe that their target is Lady Rhea. But since we don't know more about this, Seteth was still intent on focusing our attention on her protection, so he will assign us a position once the event takes place."

"And we are truly going to be following our instructions…?", Byleth raised his brows expectantly as he pondered about the dilemma.

"I don't think that would be a wise decision.", the sudden interruption caused both of them to turn around, noticing Edelgard who approached them from behind.

"How much did you hear?", Jeralt slightly narrowed his eyes.

"I overheard enough to be able to say that I don't think this to be a good idea. If the knights are focusing on securing the Archbishop, then why not let _us _make sure that nothing else happens under our nose. We would be able to cover any gap in the security without having to move any of the knights from their positions.", silence hang in the air as the house leader regarded Jeralt with a calm expression, the sheer determination that reflected from her eyes making him ponder about it.

"... I'll see if I can convince the advisor of the alternative, but regardless of what comes out of it, you won't be doing anything without me knowing, is that clear?", his expression turned serious as he looked her in the eye, though the latter was merely returning it in the same way.

"Of course."

With a barely audible sigh, Jeralt bid Byleth a good night before he turned and took his leave. As he turned his attention to Edelgard, he noticed the slight exhaustion in her eyes as she looked at the ground in thought.

"Are you alright?", she snapped out of her thoughts before she looked at him with a reassuring smile.

"Yes, in fact, I feel _very_ well. I believe I have managed to do something good today.", Byleth merely watched in confusion as Edelgard walked towards her room with a now content expression.

Did he miss something?

**I just want to point out that whenever I start the game, it still doesn't fail to give me the same feeling it did as if I started it for the first time, the same when I'm rewatching the trailers, it's amazing. **

**Also, thanks to everyone that is currently following this small journey, I didn't think many people would like it, but I hope it can continue to grow ^^**


	7. Corruption

Byleth could not help himself as he witnessed the house leader of the Blue Lions standing by himself within the library as the mercenary accidentally found Dimitri muttering to himself, holding his head in his hands. He approached the prince with worry in his eyes before he noticed his presence, immediately trying to compose himself.

"Oh, Byleth, I apologize. I didn't mean for anyone to see me like that…", Byleth merely shook his head in assurance.

"Is there something you would like to talk about?"

"I wouldn't want to bother you with my worries-", Byleth held his calm expression, letting Dimitri feel a little more at ease before he sighed after a brief hesitation.

"Do you recall the rebellion that took place within the kingdom? The images… the people that were willingly giving their lives for what they believed was right… those were innocent people before, not soldiers. And all the while, I was powerless. Unable to do anything to save their lives, me, their future king! Only because I'm not yet old enough to claim the throne…!", his right hand formed into a fist as the frustration and sadness took root within him.

He gasped when a hand gently touched his shoulder. Byleth didn't know what overcame him as the sudden urge to reach out caused him to act upon instinct, driving him to try and give comfort.

"But you care, don't you?", Dimitri's eyes widened.

"That… that didn't save them."

"Would you blame yourself for something that you couldn't have prevented? It does not change the fact that you care deeply, and that you would give anything to prevent something like this to happen again. I can see this in front of me.", Dimitri opened his mouth before he paused, looking at Byleth in complete wonder.

Suddenly he let his head face towards the ground, much to Byleth's displeasure, until he spotted a smile on Dimitri's face.

"Thank you. It gave me strength.", feeling a peculiar sensation, Byleth retracted his hand before the house leader looked up again with a now more cheerful expression, but there was still a hint of something that seemed to bother him.

"Actually, I've been meaning to ask you for a favor.", Byleth raised his brows slightly in wonder.

"I know, it was probably not an appropriate thought, but we currently have an assignment concerning another matter within kingdom territory… something more personal, even. An old relic weapon has been stolen from house Gautier, and honor demands the Church to act. The thief is said to lead a large group of bandits. I was hoping you would lend us your strength for this assignment."

"Why is it personal?", Dimitri seemed to hesitate before he sighed.

"Have you met Sylvain yet? He is the next heir to the house of Gautier, but it wasn't always like this. His elder brother, Miklan, is the thief that stole the Lance of Ruin. He was the former heir to house Gautier, but their father disowned and exiled him after he realized that he lacked a Crest… being forced to fight his own brother will be… I can't even begin to imagine the pain."

Byleth seemed to stare into nothingness as he pondered about it. There it was again, a Crest. He had such a weak grasp on the matter, and yet… a person got disowned and exiled because of the lack of a Crest…? The thirst for revenge that must have taken Miklan…

"I will try as much as I can to assist you.", Dimitri's expression lightened a lot as he gave a curt bow.

"I cannot express my gratitude enough, I will remember this."

Unbeknownst to Byleth, Hubert watched from afar as the student in question halted in his approach, overthinking his plans. He didn't expect that as of now, but he was sure he would get his chance later to _talk_ for a small moment. He turned in the opposite direction and silently took his leave.

…

"It seems Byleth is leaving to assist for another assignment. A rather interesting one at that.", Hubert watched from the side as Edelgard opened a small wooden box on her table.

"So he is."

"I assume you have heard about it?", Edelgard spared a glance towards him.

"How could I not? A child that is disowned and exiled because he is lacking a Crest…?", Hubert stayed calm as he could practically feel the hatred in her voice. However, he did speak up once he noticed her pulling out a mask out of the box, the monotone face painted crimson on its left half.

"What are you planning to do?"

"It is obvious what will inevitably happen. A person that uses a relict without its corresponding Crest is bound to be corrupted… sooner or later. The Archbishop knows that… I need to make sure that nothing happens while he is out there.", Hubert's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Why are you putting so much trust into him?"

"I can see his potential, and that he may not be thinking as differently as I do.", it was Edelgard's turn to look back at her loyal servant with a cool expression.

"And he may just as much be a potential threat. You know best what can hide behind a person's first impression, and if he were to know even a glimpse of what you are planning, do you think he would idly stand by and do nothing?"

"You don't trust in my judgement?", Hubert heaved a long sigh in defeat.

"No, but I want you to think this through. If you were to trust him only for Byleth to stand against you in the end, it would have been for nothing.", it wasn't what Hubert originally planned to say, but he kept the rest to himself. He simply couldn't understand what caused her to trust a stranger this quickly. Her, who knew better than any other person not to blindly put her faith into somebody. And yet, she did.

He _would _talk with Byleth, and he _would _test him. If he were to spot any indication that the mercenary would potentially stand against Lady Edelgard, he would experience things worse than death.

"He merely needs to understand, and I will make sure of that. But in time. For now, I need you to cover my sudden disappearance should anyone ask for me once I depart."

"Of course… but I should mention that our dear professor seems to be a bit sceptical of you. I could see the suspicion in his eyes the last time he asked for you. A mistake on my part…", Edelgard diverted her gaze to the ground as she thought about Byleth's father. How much she wished he would be trusting her instead of second guessing her every move, this was not what she wanted at all…

…

As the Blue Lions departed from the monastery and towards kingdom territory, Byleth found himself in a conversation with Hannemann, who was responsible as their teacher as well. After many days of researching, the old scholar was intent on letting him know what he had discovered about his mysterious Crest.

"It is the only possible reason that was fitting to the strange marks of your Crest, and now I have no doubt that yours is the ancient Crest of Flames.", Byleth noted Dimitri's immediate interest as he subconsciously listened to them.

"The Crest of Flames is the same that the King of Liberation, Nemesis, wielded in old times. It was long before the Church was founded.", Dimitri explained once he saw Byleth's obliviousness.

"Indeed, which makes it all the more fascinating that you happen to be gifted with such a token. If you don't mind, I would like to-"

"Professor, please restrain yourself of asking him to be a test subject as well.", Dimitri interrupted the scholar with a frown.

"T-test subject? I am merely trying a few harmless inspections without ill intent!"

"Regardless, we are nearing the fortress Miklan has taken over. The rain is picking up as well…", Byleth directed his gaze forward before he spotted the large tower in front of them, although with no guards patrolling the outer wall.

"Dedue, tell the others to hurry and prepare themselves for battle."

"Will do, my Lord.", the large man gave a small bow before Dimitri returned his attention towards Byleth.

"The tower will be crawling with bandits, but they can't see us coming. If we hurry in clearing it out, we could manage to overwhelm them quickly. Is there anything we should watch out for?", Byleth took a last glance around the place, but once again, didn't see a single soul patrolling the outskirts.

"I agree, but we should watch our backs once we enter. It is foolish not to let anyone guard the entrance, there might be reinforcements during the fight.", Dimitri nodded in agreement before he took another glance behind, seeing the others walking around Sylvain, trying to cheer the pour soul up. He sighed.

"I hope we could prevent this somehow… but I doubt Miklan will let anyone reason with him, the hatred would be too deep…", Byleth could only watch in sympathy, there was nothing he could do either. And still a feeling of guilt was constantly nagging at his mind, despite not being involved himself…

He could only help them win this fight.

XxxxxxxX

Byleth parried a blow as his sword clashed against the one of his opponent, the bandit quickly retreating backwards again upon his failed attack. But Byleth immediately followed up with a counterattack and gave a swift slash across the bandit's chest, causing him to succumb on the ground.

Without wasting a second, he focused on the next pair of thieves approaching him from the front, coming down the last pair of stairs that separated them from the very top of the tower. Narrowing his eyes, he took his sword into both of his hands before getting into a fighting position.

Suddenly, heavy and armored steps followed up from behind before Dedue barged forward with his shield pointed against their opponents, the two thieves halting in their approach upon seeing the giant man-fortress charging at them. They frantically turned around in fear until Dedue smashed his shield against the back of the left one, following with a quick vertical hit of his lance, effectively killing the other before he could run away.

"Everyone, we're almost through!", Dimitri tried to heighten the morale as their group advanced the stairs.

The group assembled at the entrance to the last room, the figure that was waiting for them in the middle wearing a murderous gaze as he watched every single member with utter hatred, pointing the legendary relic in his hands forward in a challenging manner.

"So you think you can take the lance from me? I'll kill you… I'll kill every single one of you all!"

"Brother, please! Listen to reason, if you don't stand down, the Church will hunt you forever! Please, return the lance…", Sylvain stepped forward with an outstretched hand, causing Dimitri to hold him back before he could get too close to the thief.

"Fool!", Miklan charged forward with an attempt to pierce his brother on the spot but was held back as Hannemann and Annette simultaneously conjured a Nosferatu in front of him, causing him to take a few steps back in frustration before he once again rushed at his brother. Suddenly, a sword blocked his lance as Byleth stopped him this time.

"You…!", Byleth's eyes widened when the relic suddenly started to glow in a bright light. Black tendrils erupted from the Crest stone embedded at the front of the lance, enveloping Miklan's arms before crawling all over his body to his horror. As he desperately tried to free himself, even more tendrils seemed to come forth until they swallowed him whole, his pained voice merely coming out as a roar once the black mass started to take shape.

Neither the students nor the bandits covering behind at the end of the room dared to approach the beast that was formed from the tendrils, letting out another ear piercing roar before the remaining bandits finally ran for their lives and away from the demonic beast. Byleth stood frozen in place as he witnessed the whole situation, becoming all the more aware in what danger he was in once a pair of glowing red eyes stared back at him.

There was nothing human left.

He gasped as the beast roared a second time, causing the students to cover their ears before it raised a black talon to shred Byleth in place.

"Watch out!", Dimitri moved as fast as he could as he saw the monstrous arm coming down onto the mercenary, not able to get to him in time.

"Byleth!"

The beast suddenly roared in pain, retracting its arm as a sharp blow cut through its thick skin. Byleth looked up in shock as he saw a figure protectively standing in front of him, the bright pattern of a Crest glowing in front of the cloaked person as he held a sword against the beast. Byleth's eyes widened once he saw the monotone mask that looked back at him, quietly regarding him for a moment.

"Are you alright?", any words died in his throat as the figure watched him for any injury he might have sustained before Byleth merely gave a small nod in gratitude, causing the stranger to look ahead again. The Crest glowed once again on his hand before he delivered another precise strike against the towering beast, tearing through its hide with ease until the glow succumbed and the Crest disappeared again.

But the damage was done.

"Attack while it is vulnerable.", the voice was contorted and unidentifiable, but the students didn't need to be told twice as long as their lives were in danger and the strange figure didn't seem to be hostile.

"It is the only thing we can do to put it to rest!", Ingrid charged forward and pierced her lance into its chest l, causing it to roar again in pain. Dedue did the same while Hannemann and Annette stayed back to conjure spells to fire from afar, their combined attacks forcing the beast to succumb from the sheer force until it fell to the ground, the black mass fading away into nothingness, leaving its dead host along with the relic laying on the ground.

"Brother!", Sylvain rushed towards the dead body and held it close, forgetting about anything around him. The students watched the scene with empathy as Sylvain mourned the loss of his brother, temporary forgetting about the presence of the strange figure who reached out his hand, gently touching Byleth's shoulder.

This effectively caught his attention as he looked at the one that saved him from certain death, albeit meeting him for a second time. And yet, he couldn't think of anything to say as he instinctively took a step back, causing the figure to raise a hand in assurance.

"I have no ill intent… you should be more careful the next time.", as he looked into the faint eyes behind the mask, he suddenly grew more at ease, lightening the grip on his sword. This did not go unnoticed as the figure calmly looked at him before suddenly disappearing in a crimson light.

Byleth stared at the empty space for a long moment until Dimitri broke him out of his thoughts.

"Byleth, are you alright? I thought…", words failed the house leader as he sighed in pure relief upon seeing him unharmed and alive.

"But where…", Dimitri took a quick glance around to see that the mysterious masked person had vanished before he quickly shook his head.

"It doesn't matter now. We should retrieve the Lance of Ruin and return to the monastery."

XxxxxxxX

Byleth laid awake inside of his chamber for a long time as he simply stared up at the ceiling while multiple thoughts ran through his mind, not allowing him to rest for a single moment. Despite their success at the tower, it was only the monstrosity that kept haunting his mind. What happened with Miklan, was it corruption? The relic? But he didn't understand how something like this could happen… he had never seen anything like this in all of this time. He would have to ask about this matter, he needed to know.

With a deep sigh, Byleth got up from his bed and put his face into his hands before he slowly stood up, wrapping a black cloak around his clothes as he opened the door and left his room to take a small stroll around the monastery.

Hopefully this would ease his mind…

…

The cold night air did well in calming Byleth as he decided to go into the goddess tower, wanting to see the entirety of the monastery with a view from above. He was sure to clear his head with this…

But as soon as he walked up the last few steps, he stopped when he noticed that he was not alone. Edelgard was quietly admiring the view before she slightly lifted her head, seemingly snapping out of her own thoughts as she noticed another presence behind her. Neither of them said something as they looked at one another for a brief moment before Edelgard gave him a small smile, inviting him to stand beside her to take in the view for himself.

"I suppose you can't sleep as well.", it was not a question as she glanced at him, seeing his rather tired expression as he stepped beside her before looking into the distance, enjoying the cool breeze.

"... do you wish to tell me what is bothering you? Did anything happen?", she turned her head and regarded him patiently, not forcing him to say anything he didn't want to.

"Does a relic weapon have the power to corrupt somebody?", Edelgard was slightly surprised at the straightforward question.

"If the person wielding a relic lacks the corresponding Crest, he is vulnerable to be corrupted. Such is the price…", Byleth merely stayed silent as he looked down a bit.

"It is because of Miklan, isn't it? I've heard about the incident… stealing a relic without a Crest was a grave mistake. No doubt he turned into a demonic beast… I assume that was what you saw?", Byleth gave a curt nod before Edelgard turned her gaze towards him again.

"You have seen what horrors Crests are capable of. Those that wield a Crest believe they stand above all the others, they believe that they are necessary to maintain order. But they are wrong, Byleth. The Crests are to blame for the brutal and irrational world we live in.", Byleth looked back towards her to see the sheer determination within her eyes. The way she regarded him, as if she expected something from him…

He turned his gaze to the palm of his hand, thinking about his own Crest. A child that had been disowned, exiled even, because he lacked one… the deaths that followed… and the beast that he had seen…

"I… I don't know what to think of it.", Edelgard regarded him calmly before she diverted her own gaze back into the distance.

"I know very well what people are willing to do in order to acquire a Crest… I have lost all of my siblings because of them.", a gasp escaped him as he looked at Edelgard.

"I once had many siblings… the Empire demanded many heirs. I distinctly remember their faces, their expressions… out of all of them, I happened to become the next heir to the throne. Do you know why?", she looked back into Byleth's eyes, a glint appearing within her own.

"They died. All of them. They were used and experimented on, tortured even… all of this with the single goal of granting us a Crest. If the experiments didn't kill them, then they died because of the madness that overcame them afterwards. Only I survived…", Byleth's eyes widened with each second as he listened to her every word.

"I… I didn't know. I'm so sorry…", her expression softened as she gave him a small smile.

"I swore to myself that I would do everything in my power to prevent something like this from happening ever again. I am the result of what the experiments did to every single one of my siblings, I bear the same Crest as you, Byleth. The Crest of Flames.", Edelgard reached out her hand as the symbol of the now familiar Crest appeared over her hand, revealing it to Byleth.

"I swore that as Emperor, I will change this world!"

She retracted her hand while Byleth looked back at her, unable to say something as she took a small step towards him.

"I… I'm sorry, I don't know what overcame myself. I have never told anyone of my childhood before, but somehow..."

"Thank you.", Edelgard looked back in surprise as suddenly, a genuine smile formed on Byleth's face.

"For telling me. I wish I could help you with that, but if you want to change it for the better, then I believe in you.", she gasped as Byleth spoke these words honestly before he turned around to take his leave, pondering about her dream of changing the world.

Unbeknownst to him, a smile appeared on her face as well as she looked after him.

"You can… more than you realize…"


	8. The Sword of the Creator

"The preparations are going as planned, the Western Church will aid us in acquiring the relic. Of course, under the belief that it will be used against the Archbishop."

The Flame Emperor stood in front of an unfamiliar figure, wearing expensive robes with the mark of a double headed eagle. She kept silent as the man continued with a vicious grin.

"With the sword soon in our possession, your flame will grow even more powerful… but I have a request.", if it were possible to see behind the emotionless mask, Edelgard would have raised her brows.

"Just as I have lended my troops to you until you can claim the true title of Emperor, so am I currently in need of the services of your subordinate. He would prove to be most useful for my next endeavors.", the knowing glint in his eyes were enough for her to realize that she did not have a choice in this matter for as long as she was in need of his militia. And she despised every second of it.

Until she realized that there was a most fortunate opportunity for her.

"Of course, the Death Knight is at your disposal.", the man smirked with satisfaction before he disappeared in a flash of crimson light, leaving her alone. For days she was endlessly pondering about how to avoid a possible confrontation with her subordinate while she was going to try and defend the ancient relic from the Western Church. But if her uncle had other plans with him in mind for the time being…

…then this would make it all the more easy for her. She could not let the sword get into their hands, even if it meant that she wouldn't be able to wield it herself afterwards. She needed to keep it safe so that Byleth would acquire it instead, she had to make sure of that. The priests of the Western Church wouldn't be able to withstand the knights of Seiros _should _they _coincidentally _find out about their little endeavor of breaking into the old crypts during the Rite of Rebirth. And if everything went well, Byleth could wield the sword while at the same time weakening her uncle.

He would have no control over it should it fall into Byleth's hands. Now she only had to make sure to lead them onto the right track, so that she could set her own plan into motion. But she couldn't let it go past her that her uncle was planning something as well, and she had to be wary of his next move.

* * *

The days flew past as the Rite of Rebirth came closer, the students of the Black Eagles focusing on their daily routines and lessons until the last day of the month. Byleth took note that the event didn't seem to affect his classmates, as immensely important as it was for the Church and its followers, the students themselves did not care much for it. He was aware that the Church had a great amount of influence, but now he was curious if that was the case with the Empire as well?

Byleth couldn't help but let these thoughts wander through his mind as he tried everything to somehow occupy himself in the current situation he found himself in.

_"Alright, that's enough for today. Remember your training and to gather here again by nightfall.", Byleth wondered if his father had changed his mind about investigating the old crypts during the Rite. He had pondered about the possibility for a long time, he believed Edelgard in her suspicion of their enemies trying to fool them, but he trusted in his father's judgement as well. He was conflicted about what he would do if he would have to decide between them. _

_"Byleth! Can I take a moment of your time?", he snapped out of his thoughts when somebody approached him. _

_"Dorothea. Do you need anything?", Byleth did not like the mischievous glint that was hiding behind her innocent stare. _

_"Oh, I just wanted to ask you for a favor."_

A favor. He could imagine a lot of things under this term and he had an urge to help if it was asked from him, but he did _not _sign up for a tea party. Dorothea, on the other hand, merrily sipped from her steaming cup while Byleth decided to play along and wait until she would say what the original reason for her invitation was. If there was one.

"... is there anything you needed in particular?"

"Well, yes, I want to talk with you.", she glanced at him with a small grin but stopped when she saw that his expression wasn't changing.

"It is just, you know, you have been with us for over a month now and I still didn't have a proper opportunity to get to know you better. That's all, really. I'd be happy to see you a bit more… relaxed.", she gave him a smile to assure him that she meant well. Even if she wasn't entirely honest with her words, she had another intention in mind as she pondered about her next words, keeping her expression cheerful.

While Byleth didn't mind what others assumed about his mood, he was still slightly irritated. He _was _quite relaxed, but he would be even more so if he were doing something that did not require him to sit at a tea party while not being truly interested…

"A nice weather today, is it not?", the way she put her finger on her chin made him feel as though she were expecting something. Dorothea in turn decided that now was a pretty good time to let him know what she wanted him to, curiously looking forward to his reaction.

"Oh, I entirely forgot to mention something, silly me! Did you know that today is Edelgard's birthday?", to her dismay, Byleth merely shifted in his chair ever so slightly, tilting his head in surprise. She would have expected a little bit more.

"I will have to gratulate her later, then. Thank you for letting me know.", Dorothea was not satisfied with this, she was very much observant in this area, and it didn't get past her that her house leader had undoubtedly taken an interest in him. Whether this was out of curiosity or something more, she didn't know, but this was an opportunity that had never been there before for as long as she had known Edelgard. She _had _to poke it.

"Do you by any chance know what she likes? Edelgard is always so very much persistent in letting us know that we shouldn't make a big deal about it, thus she never agrees to do something… but I'd still want to try to gift her something she might like.", Dorothea hid her observant stare behind her innocent smile.

"I would think that you know her preferences a lot better than I do? I'm sorry, but I wouldn't be of any help in this matter.", she shifted her gaze to the table slightly before she took a quick sip from her tea. She would have to try something else.

"You'd be surprised how little we all know about her. Oh well, it's of no consequence, I just thought you might know something given that you two are quite often around each other…", she let her sentence hanging as she seemingly pondered about what she might like, subtly noticing the slight but calm stare Byleth returned towards her. He didn't seem to catch it.

"... now that I think about it, I remember one of the rare times she confessed that she has a strong fondness of sweets. A pity, if only I knew what exactly to get her…", she gave him a quick glance once again but to her irritation, Byleth was regarding the Pavillion to their side, seemingly lost in thought. Did he pay attention to her words…? He didn't say anything for a long moment before he suddenly turned his attention back to her as if he were waiting for her to say anything else. She merely blinked before he slowly got up from his chair.

"I enjoyed this quite a lot, thank you for inviting me. But I should at least get a little bit of rest until the Rite begins.", Dorothea looked after him as she muttered a quick farewell, not having seen any indication of what she had suspected during the entire thing. She couldn't shake the disappointment that dwelled within her in that moment, he had crushed her hopes…

* * *

Edelgard heaved a sigh when she collected her parchments on her table as she saw Dorothea inviting Byleth for a tea. Out of all the times she could have chosen, it had to be now. She suppressed another sigh before she got up from her seat, changing her plans slightly. She would have to seek him out at a later time…

She approached Jeralt with a calm expression until their teacher looked up from his table, not yet having left the classroom.

"I've heard that today is your birthday. Congratulations. I wish it weren't connected with the assignment.", for once, Jeralt simply looked back at the house leader with a rather relaxed expression.

"Thank you. But I never want to turn too much attention to it, it is a day like any other. What I would like to know is-"

"You may.", Edelgard blinked as she processed it for a moment.

"Pardon?", however, Jeralt merely looked back at her as if it were obvious what he meant.

"Your plan on investigating. We are free to do so, I have made sure that Seteth is informed."

"I appreciate that you trust me on this, if something were to occur, we would not be unprepared. I have informed myself on the different locations that would normally be left unattended during the Rite, and I believe our best chance would be the old relic chambers beneath the monastery. It is the only place I believe where an intruder could gain something.", Jeralt looked back at the table in thought.

"You've certainly taken the initiative, it's… impressive. Then it's settled, I will let the rest know once we gather here again, we will keep our post there.", Edelgard was internally glad that the start went a lot better than anticipated. The worst case scenario that she imagined was to do it behind their teacher's back, while at the same time having to convince the others to join her. She quickly discarded these thoughts.

There was no need to ponder about something that was not going to happen anymore. Now, she still needed to seek out Byleth and inform him herself.

…

When Edelgard spotted her friend, she was surprised to see her sitting all by herself as she sipped the remainings of her tea with her gaze turned at the table as if she were deeply thinking about something. She almost didn't notice her approach until she stood beside her, causing her to slowly blink and glance up from her position.

"Is something wrong?", Edelgard could witness from a mile away that something seemed to bother her. However, Dorothea was quick to replace it with a small smile.

"Oh, I didn't see you there… er, nope, everything's fine! Happy birthday Edelgard!", before she could poke the subject further, Dorothea quickly got up from her seat and gave her a hug.

"Thank you, but it's alright. Weren't you with Byleth? I was wondering where I could find him, there is something I need to discuss with him.", with her head still behind Edelgard's back, Dorothea's expression turned into a slight frown as the thought about what to say before she merely sighed, releasing Edelgard from her hug.

"I don't know, I think he wanted to rest, if I got that right… maybe in his room? I'm not sure…", her voice turned a bit hollow, much to Edelgard's confusion. Her own tone was obvious to Dorothea herself as she pulled herself together again to ignore the dwelling disappointment within her, discarding the thoughts of trying anything else… _for now. _

"Anyway, it was enjoyable to talk, you should perhaps try a tea as well, and, er… until later I guess! I hope the rest of your day will be fine.", Dorothea quickly got up from her chair with her cup in hand before she left towards the dining hall. Edelgard blinked as she stood in place for a moment, wondering if she missed something. Somehow, the thought lingered in her mind longer than she liked, unsettling her slightly to her irritation.

She shook her head before she made up her mind, deciding to look for him in the dormitory instead.

* * *

Nightfall came sooner than expected as Edelgard returned to their classroom where everyone had already gathered. To her dismay, she had not found a single trace of Byleth the entire rest of the day, making her wonder what he had been doing. Until she spotted him standing amidst her classmates as Jeralt explained their assignment for the night.

She silently made her way into their small group and up to his side, causing him to glance at her once he took note of her presence. He opened his mouth for a brief second before he changed his mind and chose to let his father finish his explanation. Edelgard caught the hint and remained silent as well, keeping her questions back for the moment.

"... therefore we will be staying guard in the old crypt chambers beneath the monastery. Should anyone attempt to move past the knights, then we'll be there as well. Don't stray away from the group and whatever may happen, wait for my command before you act. Is everything clear?", the students nodded in agreement to which Jeralt signaled them to follow him. Edelgard returned her attention towards Byleth as their little group left the classroom.

"I have been looking for you, but it seemed you didn't leave a single trace.", Edelgard glanced at him before something caught her eye as she looked at his hand, noticing that his right glove was missing.

"... I simply couldn't decide what to do today, I was strolling around the monastery for a while.", Byleth hesitated before he turned to look at her.

"It is late, but I didn't learn of it sooner… happy birthday, Edelgard.", she looked back at him in wonder, intrigued by his words. Hearing it from him left a different feeling somehow. But the lack of emotion in his expression suddenly left a… bitter sensation. She hesitated before she replied, shifting her gaze slightly to the side.

"Thank you… I appreciate it."

The many voices and chatter became audible as more and more followers of the Church filled the main courtyard while the students entered the main building, moving through the various halls until they stopped at the door that led to the underground crypts and relic chamber.

"Looks like we are not as alone as we thought.", Jeralt drew his sword as the students looked upon the doors which were standing wide open, pulling out their weapons as well in preparation.

"Oh my, did someone really manage to sneak into this place? And even if, does that mean…?", Dorothea feared the very likely possibility of another fight, not wishing to see the cruelty of battle again.

"As I said, the main part of the knights are occupied with the festivities, but the single posts should be enough to detect any intruders… unless…", Byleth came to the same conclusion as his father as he narrowed his eyes.

"Unless it were more than just a few.", he drew his sword as well as he looked down the dark corridor. Edelgard observed their group, seeing the hesitant but determined expressions of most of her classmates before she pondered for a moment.

"We should see what is going on, informing the knights might take too long and the thieves will be long gone.", Jeralt closed his eyes for a moment before he sighed, his hopes of proving his suspicions to be wrong slowly getting crushed as he looked down the corridor as well.

"Alright, follow me and prepare yourself, we don't know who or how many are waiting down there."

…

"Father, why can't I participate in the festivities?", Flayn looked at Seteth in disappointment as he knelt down to be on eye level with her, putting a hand onto her shoulder.

"I can't risk having you amidst the people should anything happen, especially with the current threat. If they should turn out to be true, then I want you to be here and in safety until I return, please understand. I couldn't bare the thought if something were to happen to you…", Flayn looked to the ground with a small sigh as he gave her a comforting smile. She knew that it was well meant…

"I… I understand. I'll wait here then."

"Thank you, I promise I'll return as soon as I can. Meanwhile, you can still regard the event from up here if you like.", with a last smile, Seteth got up to leave for his duties at the Rite, gently closing the door behind him. Flayn could understand the protectiveness of her father but sometimes she couldn't help but feel that he was overdoing it…

She moved towards the balcony before she looked down upon the massive crowd that was gathering in the courtyard or outside the monastery, astonished at the huge amount of people that were taking part in the Rite. It was breathtaking for her to see, even if only from afar. Seteth had sometimes told her about it, but seeing it for the first time was a lot more than she imagined.

Suddenly, she heard steps outside of the room before she swiftly turned around in surprise as the door opened.

"Brother? Have you-", she hesitated when another person entered the room than she expected, but she quickly calmed down again when she saw who it was.

"Oh, Jeritza, I didn't expect you here. Is there something I can help you with?", she gave the teacher a smile before an uneasy feeling started to surface within her when he didn't respond.

"Is… something the matter…?", her smile slowly vanished when he approached her with an emotionless stare.

"I'm sorry for this."

* * *

Byleth swung his sword against the next priest that failed to land his spell, slashing him across the chest to which he succumbed to the ground. He tried to ignore the stinging pain in his left shoulder as a few flames managed to burn him there from previous attacks. He turned his attention to the leader who was almost right in front of them now, his priests having failed to protect him.

Edelgard came up to him from behind, having covered his back before she regarded the slightly burned part of his armor in concern.

"You are too late! The seal is already broken…!", the leader opened the coffin in front of him before pulling out a sword, holding it carefully in his hands as he turned around to face them. Byleth inspected it in wonder, never having seen something like it before. It's material looked similar to that of the Lance of Ruin which he had seen, leading him to the assumption that it was an ancient relic as well.

Edelgard, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes as she gripped her axe and held it in front of her.

"You cannot wield that. It is not meant for you.", she rushed forward and swung her axe in a quick but precise motion, catching the priest off guard as he merely managed to block the hit slightly, albeit resulting in him losing his grip on the weapon, causing it to fall to the ground. Byleth hesitated for a moment as he suddenly felt an urge to grab the weapon, feeling drawn towards it.

The priest grunted in frustration as he charged a fireball in his hands, relying onto what he was already familiar with instead of a sword. However, he halted when a sudden red glow erupted in front of him, causing Edelgard to turn and look back at Byleth as well, who was holding the relic with astonishment. The blade felt… so very light in his hands. The energy that surged through him in that moment caused the pain in his shoulder to vanish as he returned his attention back towards the remaining priest, who in turn was stumbling backwards at the sight of the glowing sword.

Not giving up without a fight, he launched the spell at Byleth instead, gasping in shock when the latter merely sliced it in half, rendering the otherwise destructive magic useless. Having enough of it, Byleth delivered a quick slice across his chest, causing the priest to heave a last breath before he fell against the coffin. Edelgard approached him with a glint in her eyes, smiling gently when she saw the effect the sword had with him.

"You can wield it…", Byleth looked up at her with wonder before the others caught up with them, having taken care of the remaining reinforcements the priests had organized.

"Wait, did you just…", his father spoke slowly as he regarded his son with the relic in hand until several more heavy footsteps caught his attention.

"Alright then, regardless of who dares to break into this chamber, we're here now!", Jeralt turned around to see Catherine with a group of knights observing the remains of the battle that had taken place as she lowered her sword again.

"Or, well, it looks like you handled yourself just fine. Oh, what else should I have expected, Jeralt is here as well. See if you can find any leftovers and arrest them.", she ordered to the knights behind her who immediately obeyed. She looked at Byleth with widened eyes when she saw him holding the relic, the weapon still glowing in a gentle red light.

"You managed to wield this…? So you must possess the corresponding Crest… the relic is actually not meant to be held by anyone.", she regarded Byleth for a long moment before she came to a conclusion.

"But it isn't my choice, you should report this to the Archbishop immediately when you can spare time tomorrow, after today's festivities. It will be up to her to decide whether or not you should keep it.", Edelgard watched the scene silently, not having noticed that her posture had become tense all of a sudden.

"Anyway, we should return to the classroom, let the knights take over from here. We've done our part, that was a fine job everyone.", Jeralt gave an honest and proud smile as he praised the students, causing Catherine to chuckle at the sight. She had no doubt his students were well trained under his lead.

* * *

"You should store the sword somewhere until tomorrow, I can keep it safe in a chest for you within the classroom.", Jeralt offered as he looked at Byleth, seeing him deep in thought as he nodded. As they reached their destination, the students tired from the whole experience, Jeralt opened the double doors to the classroom before everyone suddenly stopped, not a single word being muttered.

Byleth snapped out of his train of thoughts when he looked inside the room, seeing a single table standing in the middle with a large chocolate cake standing proudly at the center, multiple chairs neatly placed around it along with multiple plates and forks distributed as well. He had almost forgotten…

Edelgard was rendered speechless as she approached the table along with the students behind her, seeing a small note in front of the cake.

_'Happy Birthday' _

"Who… did this…?", Edelgard muttered as she stared at the large treat, feeling the lovely scent of chocolate teasing her.

"Whoa, this thing is large… and it smells delicious.", Caspar couldn't tear his eyes off the cake as he simply stared at it.

"Whoever did this is certainly familiar with baking…", Linhardt commented with interest. However, Dorothea immediately directed her gaze towards Byleth with narrowed eyes, seeing him innocently standing at the back while not uttering a single word as he watched the scene with a hint of a smile. He _**did **_listen…

She wouldn't just let him get away like this without anyone noticing.

She glanced back at the table when she suddenly spotted something subtly trapped and covered under one of the plates.

"Say, Byleth, isn't this _your _glove under that plate…?", a devious grin formed on her face as she put a finger to her chin in wonder, seeing Byleth's eyes widen in shock as if remembering something. So this was where he had left it…

All eyes turned towards him as he gasped, unable to hold eye contact with anyone before he directed his gaze to the ground slightly, unable to say anything.

Suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around him, pulling him into a gentle hug. He looked back up to see Edelgard having walked up to him, embracing him gently.

"Thank you, I wouldn't have thought you would go through this trouble to make a cake for me.", she released him as she looked at him with a growing smile. Byleth took a small step back, not used to something like that. It irritated him slightly, this was not the reaction he would have expected, but he didn't plan for anyone finding out about him having made it in the first place. A cake was not hard to make, a thanks would have sufficed in his mind.

"You can stop staring at me now.", Byleth said with a small smile, seeing the astonished and surprised expressions of his classmates. Unbeknownst to him, they had just witnessed a whole new side of Byleth, never having seen him act like this before.

"Right, you know what we should start doing now? Celebrate the rest of the day for as long as it holds, wouldn't you say?", Ferdinand stated with a confident fist to which the others nodded.

_'I haven't felt this much life within you before. You know, I can feel what you feel, and I'm feeling a lot right now.'_

Byleth perked up slightly at the giggling voice in his head.

_'Well, I just wonder what exactly the cause for this is. Hm... but of course I don't want to disturb you in this moment. Focus, somebody is looking at you... oh, and don't forget to smile, it looks good, trust me.'_

"Oh this is so… n-nice!", Bernadetta's expression brightened up upon feeling an unusual happy sensation, despite being around so many. Edelgard's gaze softened before she looked back at Byleth for his approval.

"Well, with such a joyful atmosphere, how could I say no? Shall we?", Byleth blinked in slight confusion, wondering why she should ask him for permission.

"Of course.", he replied with his expression turning neutral again.

Hubert was silently observing the scene, holding himself in the background as his gaze lingered on Byleth.

"Professor? You will be staying, no?", Petra looked at Jeralt expectantly as the latter observed the scene from the side, snapping him out of his thoughts. To her surprise, an actual small chuckle escaped him.

"I wasn't planning to leave, no.", with that, each of the students took a seat at the table in a quick motion before Edelgard calmly took one as well. Byleth patiently waited for everyone to be seated before taking his own until he realized that the only one left that was unoccupied was beside Edelgard, who sat at the end of the table. As the students regarded him with a glint in their eyes, Byleth grew more irritated with each second.

Perhaps he shouldn't have done that.


	9. Veiled Intentions

"I am glad to see that you are unharmed and well, Byleth. Catherine has informed me on what has transpired inside of the old crypts. Rest assured that I have taken it upon myself to punish those that remained for the sin of breaking into this holy place.", the Archbishop wore a piercing glare for the briefest of seconds before it shifted back into a gentle expression as she regarded Byleth.

He, in turn, frowned as he pictured in his head what she might have done to the thieves. He could hardly imagine any other outcome than death…

But as he looked at the motherly smile, the possibility seemed to be so unlikely, so far fetched. The words of his father went through his mind, reminding him of his warning. He had yet to see what to make of her, he would remain wary of her for now.

Her gaze wandered to the relic sword he had brought with him, her smile deepening slightly before she looked back at him.

"And the sword is in your possession as well.", Byleth perked up in concern, taking the sword from his back to return it before she suddenly raised her hand, shaking her head mildly.

"There is no need to worry, I wish for you to keep it. Seeing it in your hands, I know it will be in good care.", Byleth glanced at the sword in his hand, feeling the still unfamiliar tingle surging through his arm as he held it. It was almost as if it was a part of him.

"What kind of sword is this…?"

"This, is the Sword of the Creator. A powerful relic, it bears powers that it will only reveal to those that are worthy to wield it.", a glint appeared in her eyes as she smiled at him with a mix of satisfaction and content.

"And as I can see, you are a perfect match for it."

Despite her words, Byleth didn't quite believe in that. He was used to holding his trusty sword that he was taking care of ever since Jeralt had first entrusted it with him. Never would he have asked for anything else, but now he was wielding something entirely else, something that was far more powerful. He was not sure if it was in the right hands with him…

Lady Rhea saw the blank stare and took a step closer to him, snapping him out of his thoughts when she suddenly placed a hand onto his own, giving him a reassuring smile.

"Leave no room for doubt, I am fully confident that it is meant for no one else. Remember that."

He was still not convinced, but her words still gave him a comforting feeling nonetheless…

"Come, I would like to talk with you if you can spare a moment of your time. I was wondering how you are faring thus far, but I believe hearing it from yourself would be most appropriate.", Lady Rhea motioned for Byleth to follow her into a smaller room to the left where they could talk undisturbed.

Byleth took a look around, the big wooden table that was filled with parchments and a quill along with the large glass window behind it seemingly being her workplace.

"Please, sit.", she gestured towards a free chair near a table which he gratefully accepted. She settled onto a nearby chair herself afterwards before she placed a cup in front of him, offering him some tea.

"Tell me, I am curious as to how you are viewing the monastery so far. I trust everything is in right order?", the motherly smile never ceased as she poured some of the steaming hot tea into his cup, a sweet scent filling the air.

"It is a very peaceful place, the students I have met are all very kind to me…"

"I am glad to hear that. It is here where we strive to guide these lively souls on the right way, and to create an everlasting peace.", her smile seemed to deepen slightly as she looked out the large window, rays of warm light shining into the chamber.

"No doubt you have seen some of the darker sides as well, regardless if it is a bandit, a thief, or anyone who tries to break this peace. As a mercenary, you must have seen a lot of this.", her tone remained calm before she looked back at him.

"It is something I cannot accept, anyone who tries to break this order is another individual that threatens the lives of those that I vow to protect.", Byleth nodded slowly, taking in her words.

"I… see."

"Forgive me, I should not have brought up this particular subject. If anything, how do you fare with the class you have chosen? I can imagine it being a whole new experience for you, but they are all kind souls.", at this, Byleth could not do otherwise but smile lightly, the image of all the students he had come to know over the course of the month filled him with a warm sensation. He came to care for them a lot…

"I can see that you certainly do not regret your choice.", his smile seemed to have had an impact on her as well as her own deepened.

"No, not at all."

"I pray that the goddess will watch over and protect you at all times, no matter what may come your way. But, in regards to the tragic events that have occured not long ago, I would like to show you a few things that I have invented in order to bring the students closer together and strengthen their bonds. Maybe some of them will spark your interest as well.", she gestured for Byleth to follow her as she stood up from her chair.

"... since we are at it, it reminds me of something important that I have neglected to share with you until now. Has your father already mentioned it?", Byleth glanced at her in obvious confusion, not knowing what she was implying. This, in turn, only managed to deepen the kind smile that she was wearing, and for whatever reason that he couldn't fathom, a feeling of uneasiness began to dwell within him.

"You see, there is an event that has always been quite popular and anticipated among the students. This evening, there will be a giant ball that is held within the confines of the main hall. I would encourage you to participate as well, these fine memories will stay with you for your entire life."

And just like that, he knew once again why he trusted his perception.

* * *

Jeralt was holding his hands up in a calming manner as Seteth muttered uncontrollably in front of him.

"Calm down, we can't do anything if we don't know what happened in the first place."

"Have you seen Flayn anywhere? She was supposed to wait in her room until the Rite was finished, but she was gone once I returned. She would never leave beforehand without telling me where she would go.", concern was written all over the advisor as he held a hand to his head, going through every possible option that was available to him.

"I haven't seen her either so far, but I'm sure if we rally everyone to search with us, we'll solve this in a small matter of time. I'll tell my students to be on the lookout.", Jeralt pondered about the possible solutions to the sudden disappearance, but it was too soon to jump into any conclusions yet.

"I, yes, we should do that. I will gather the knights, please, inform me immediately if you find anything. I couldn't bare the thought of something happening to her…", Seteth left in a hurry, leaving Jeralt alone within the classroom. He had never seen the advisor in such a distressed way before, it was reason enough to worry about it.

As the word spread through the monastery like a wildfire, it didn't take long for all the students and knights to be informed on what happened, leaving a worried and unsure atmosphere everywhere. Edelgard was especially intrigued by the sudden turn in events as she looked out the window in her room, trying to make sense of the situation.

"I believe it is safe to assume that Arundel had a hand in this, somehow.", Hubert stood a few paces behind her while she looked outside without moving an inch. Edelgard gave a curt nod, the sudden disappearance of Jeritza didn't go past her. There was most certainly a connection…

And she didn't like the outcome of it. She would have to find a way to intervene. Everyone at the monastery was already looking for her, but Edelgard knew where Flayn was undoubtedly being kept. She would yet again have to direct her classmates onto the right course if she wanted to have a chance.

"I will go and share some of the information with our teacher, see if there is anything else that occured within the monastery, we mustn't let anything get past us.", Edelgard turned around to take her leave, stopping in front of the door when Hubert spoke out his thoughts.

"What will you do should we encounter Jeritza? You will hardly be able to issue an order in the company of the others.", Edelgard paused, taking it into consideration. A good point.

"I will think of something.", not waiting for a reply, she opened the door and took her leave. Hubert, on the other hand, began to wonder what their opponents were planning with this. This girl must have something worth for them to pursue…

With a hum, he left in a crimson light towards his next destination. Jeritza must have left a trace that would help them turn the attention of their group towards him, anything that was enough to convince even their dear teacher in order not to raise any suspicion against Lady Edelgard.

On her way, Edelgard pondered about the subject further as she entered the classroom of the Black Eagles, seeing Jeralt sit at the front table with his eyes trained on a parchment. He looked up once he heard her approach.

"I've heard about what happened, I'm concerned about Flayn's wellbeing.", Jeralt closed his eyes for a moment with a sigh.

"Ever since Seteth approached me with this matter, I realized that she seemed to have vanished into thin air. Not a single student has seen her either, and the knights are still searching the outside of the monastery.", Edelgard considered her next words carefully before she spoke up.

"I have talked with some of the students, and I've learned of-"

"It seems one of the teachers has disappeared as well, Jeritza I believe. But I don't know much about him yet, I was planning to see into his chamber to search for a trace.", Edelgard blinked once in mild confusion since Jeralt seemed to know exactly what it was that she was planning to say. Or perhaps he was already expecting the initiative from her? She suppressed a frown and merely nodded, how much she wished she could gain more of his trust…

"Maybe I should call the others together as well so we may search as a group, shouldn't we?", Jeralt thought about this before the doors to the classroom suddenly opened, Hubert rushing in with a distressed expression.

"Professor, I've discovered Manuela lying unconscious and injured in Jeritza's chambers! The medical wing should be notified by now, I need assistance in transporting her there safely.", Jeralt got up from his seat immediately and motioned for Hubert to lead the way.

"Edelgard, I need you to find a few of your classmates and investigate Jeritza's chambers, if you find anything, report it to me immediately. We will carry Manuela over to the medical wing.", Edelgard glanced slightly at Hubert in shock, in the heat of the moment she was not sure whether or not he had made this up intentionally or if it truly happened.

It only dawned upon her a brief second later that the first option was more than unlikely, it wouldn't have given them anything. Which meant that she had to improvise, and quickly. She couldn't have expected something like this to happen…

"Of course, we will be careful."

As Hubert and Jeralt rushed out of the classroom, Edelgard followed suit to gather her fellow classmates until the first one that came immediately into her mind was a certain someone that she had not seen today. Realizing this, she pondered about where he might be before she began her search. She was quick in finding Dorothea and Petra near the Pavillion, summarizing the situation to them.

"Go tell the others, and don't wait for me. I will search for Byleth.", Dorothea nodded in agreement before she almost stopped when a sly remark came floating through her mind, but she suppressed it once she recalled the urgency. And it was so very hard as well, with the ball standing right in front of them, she couldn't help but look after her friend as she left in a hurry.

"Your look is so very fixated? Is something bothering your mind?", a grin formed on Dorothea's face, and Petra became only more confused.

"Oh, it's nothing...", her thoughts returned to the day prior, and she pictured Edelgard along with Byleth once more in her mind, innocently celebrating her birthday... she could squeal. Byleth was not oblivious, she had seen that he had been very well aware of her more or less subtle discussion at their small tea time. But she knew her friend enough by now to notice that tremendous change within her whenever Byleth was involved.

And she couldn't begin to imagine how this evening would turn out in the end.

Edelgard, on the other hand, stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted the Archbishop talking with Byleth, narrowing her eyes in annoyance. The last thing she could have needed was the Archbishop telling Byleth whatever nonsense she could come up with. The thought of her trying to fool him with her innocent charade disgusted her…

With renewed vigor, she made haste to catch up with them, following them into the cathedral. She wouldn't let this go on any longer.

Byleth looked into the small box the priest was holding in front of him, the Archbishop explaining him the purpose of it.

"Go on, choose one of the letters, you never know whom you could help with your reply.", she smiled as she closed her eyes in content, waiting for him to pick one. However, as Byleth reached out, a voice suddenly interrupted him.

"Apologize for my interruption, but I need to talk with Byleth.", Lady Rhea frowned for a brief moment when she turned towards the source of the sudden interruption, giving the house leader a questioning glance.

"I presume it is urgent, very well, we shall continue this another time. Feel free to engage in the various activities I have shown you, I hope you can find joy in them.", Edelgard merely looked calmly at the Archbishop, albeit closely, the hidden emotions getting more and more difficult to contain. She wondered why she had such a hard time to control herself in her presence, but she seemed to aggravate her more than before and she could only barely suppress the sigh once Rhea had left.

Focusing her attention towards Byleth instead, the anger suddenly vanished as if it had just been a bad memory.

"There is no time to lose, we need to join the others. I will explain it to you on the way.", quickly getting a grasp of the urgency in her voice, Byleth gave a curt nod. However, as she motioned for him to follow her, a nagging feeling kept pestering her in her mind that just seemed to refuse to leave her alone. She glanced at Byleth from the side before she suddenly spoke out her thoughts without thinking about it.

"... what were you discussing with the Archbishop?"

Byleth looked at her with an oblivious but curious expression.

"She showed me a few activities she has invented for students to use. They are quite, simple, but imaginative.", Edelgard lowered her gaze slightly before she formulated her question more precisely.

"Anything more… serious?", Byleth blinked in thought.

"What do you mean?", she thought about her previous words before she sighed, shaking her head mildly.

"I- never mind, I'm being thoughtless with my words..."

* * *

Hubert narrowed his eyes as he charged another Miasma, not feeling any ounce of regret for killing the Militia that was guarding the underground cells and chambers. The soldier cried out in pain before he succumbed to the ground once the spell made impact, shadowy marks covering the front of the corpse. The only thing that was playing into his cards right now was that his classmates were none the wiser about the current situation, not familiar with the enemy they were facing right now.

But he was still caught in a dilemma as the Death Knight observed their little group advancing into the last chamber, taking out the soldiers and mages one by one. Hubert could clearly imagine the bloodthirsty glint hiding behind the dark helmet, but the glowing red eyes were showing off enough for the students to slow down in their approach once he was the only opponent left, catching up to Hubert from behind.

He glanced behind himself before he quietly muttered a warning to him.

"You should withdraw from here…", the glowing eyes were piercing through him as the deep voice replied.

**"I don't take orders from you."**

Hubert merely closed his eyes with a hum, pondering about his options. There was not much else he could do than to stall for time. Normally he would pity the foolishness of his actions, but he had no doubt that he already had his orders…

"Who is this?", Dorothea's voice trembled slightly at the sight of the imposing scythe he was wielding.

**"Very well, shall we finish this?"**

Bernadetta almost squirmed as the glowing eyes stared right back at her for a brief second as he raised his scythe, until he suddenly halted in his motion. The students turned around in caution at the approaching footsteps but quickly calmed down again upon seeing Edelgard and Byleth joining them.

"Well, now that we're a unit, I think we can finish this more quickly than you'd anticipate!", Caspar was radiating an aura of confidence.

The Death Knight didn't move an inch as he simply stared at the newcomers, Edelgard slightly narrowing her eyes.

**"... a pity. You are in luck…"**

Caspar's eyes widened in frustration when the knight suddenly disappeared in a crimson light, leaving the students alone.

"What? Where is the challenge you promised!"

Ferdinand merely held a hand to his head, a smirk growing on his face.

"No need to think about it further, his actions showed that he feared us more than he would admit."

Linhardt was looking back at the corridor they had come from, observing the multiple lifeless bodies that were now covering the floor. He merely closed his eyes.

"Hey, look here! I found someone!", Petra's voice echoed from a room closeby to which the students rushed over, seeing her kneeling in front of an unconscious girl.

"It is Flayn! Oh dear, we should get her out of here immediately, she looks so pale!", Dorothea held a hand to her mouth, her heartbeat quickening at the sight. But everyone's attention soon turned towards a second figure that was laying further away in the dark.

"But who is this…?", Linhardt ignited a small flame in his hands to give a small source of light, showing everyone that the person was another girl in student attire, seemingly unconscious as well. Edelgard quietly stood behind as she closely observed the girl, her eyes narrowing. She turned towards Byleth, gaining his attention.

"We should head back and report all of this to our teacher, we need to get them to the medical wing as well.", he nodded in agreement.

* * *

"She is being treated right now by the healers, her life is not endangered.", Jeralt could see the worry fading away from Seteth as he held his hands to his chest, releasing a deep breath.

"I cannot thank you enough for finding her, if you wouldn't have acted so soon, I… I don't want to imagine what these fiends would have done to her. Please, if there is anything you need in the future, let me know. I owe you this favor, as well as your brave students. I give my deepest gratitude to all of them."

Jeralt merely gave a small smile, glad to see the advisor warming up to him for at least a little bit. He wouldn't have thought to see this happening one day.

When Seteth took his leave to look for Flayn, Jeralt turned towards Edelgard and Byleth who were quietly listening from behind. The happy atmosphere was almost infectious for Edelgard when she saw the light and content expression on Jeralt's face.

"Well, I can only say the same for you. I'm proud of what you have all achieved, you have done all of this on your own initiative. But…", his expression turned a little more concerned.

"I'm still worried about the motives of our enemies in the first place. That there was an underground hall beneath our nose is more than concerning, as well as the involvement of Jeritza, if he was that mysterious knight… I will look into this further, but you should take the rest that you have earned.", once Jeralt took his leave as well, Edelgard pondered about her own thoughts for a moment before she stopped in her tracks, a gasp escaping her once she noticed the big smile Byleth was wearing.

"Byleth…? Is that… I, I have never seen you this happy before…", Byleth merely looked away slightly with his hands behind his back, albeit his smile did not cease in the slightest. Edelgard couldn't help herself either as a smile formed on her face as well.

"I… I just feel that we have done something good today.", as he looked into the sky with a joyful glint in his eyes, Edelgard found herself simply staring at his content expression, her own smile growing as if he was sharing his happiness.

The image didn't leave her anymore.

* * *

The evening had approached sooner than expected, and after today's events, Edelgard had almost forgotten about the ball that she had actually been looking forward to. Not immediately, but the more she began to ponder about it, she knew that something was different this time around. However, despite any calm composure that she may have held on the outside, as was befitting of the Adrestian heir to the throne, it couldn't have looked any more different on the inside the moment she laid eyes upon the crowds of students that were already present.

And she was reminded why she usally hated these kind of events.

Edelgard was letting her eyes wander through the crowd of students, standing at the side of the hall while most of the students were dancing with a respective partner. She subconsciously held her hand behind her back while holding a glass of water within the other, focusing to appear as indifferent as possible to the students around her who were either content in watching, or looking for a dance partner themselves.

To her dismay, it wasn't always enough to stop some to approach her regardless.

"Excuse me, but may I ask for a dance?", Edelgard internally groaned as she glanced at the taller student beside her who was offering her his hand, a smile on his face. She recognized his uniform as one of the Blue Lions.

"Pardon, but I don't feel like dancing as of now.", she hoped that her tone was enough to convey the actual meaning within her words, but the young student persisted still.

"May I keep you company then? I wouldn't want to leave you all by yourself, princess.", suppressing a deep sigh, she almost clenched the glass within her hand while her eyes wandered through the crowd once more, stopping at the form of Hubert who was standing at the far corner of the hall, already occupied with threatening the number of students that had approached her before.

It seemed even he couldn't keep all of them away…

Before the student could utter another word, his eyes gleamed for a second in anticipation as she shifted her hand before they fell almost comically, staring at the glass of water she simply placed into his hand.

"... and I wouldn't want to repeat myself."

She stepped past the student who looked after her with narrowed eyes, not sparing another glance at him as she scanned the crowd once more, not catching sight of the person who was on her mind since that whole evening had started.

The entire week she had been looking forward to this event… this had never been the case before, if anything, she could have never cared less about these kinds of social events. But now that she was here, she couldn't help but feel slightly anxious, uncertain even.

Suddenly a thought occurred in her mind, causing her to hasten slightly while shifting her gaze from student to student. What if he was already participating among the dance floor himself…? She had been waiting the entire evening to find him, and maybe, just maybe, she was hoping that…

Her racing thoughts came to a stop once she laid eyes upon him, seeing Byleth standing at the other side of the hall among the other students who were merely watching. He was calmly regarding the others, not having noticed her yet as she stared at him from among the crowd of students.

However, her trance and any shreds of hesitation were swiftly taken away once she witnessed Claude approaching Byleth from behind, and she could practically see the intention in his mischievous eyes.

Byleth was oblivious to either of them before he glanced at Claude out of the corner of his eyes, the latter feigning a surprised expression as if he had just found him by accident. He gave a light bow into Byleth's direction before he approached him with a smile, reaching out his hand towards the other who, in turn, was still surprised at the sudden gesture.

At least, until his hand was suddenly snatched by another presence right in front of Claude's face, surprising not only him in the process.

"Excuse me, Byleth, may I…?", Byleth's eyes flickered towards Edelgard who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere from his perspective, almost ignoring Claude's surprised stare before it shifted into obvious amusement, giving her a wink from behind Byleth.

"Oh, pardon me Edelgard, I didn't know that Byleth was waiting for you in specific. I'll let you get right to it, then…", it cost her all of her self-restraint not to pierce him with a cold glare as she focused upon Byleth instead, suppressing her former anxiety. She had been looking forward to this the whole evening before the ball even started, and she couldn't have asked for better circumstances… here he was, still unoccupied with any other student…

Byleth, on the other hand, was still slightly taken aback at her sudden gesture. He had been regarding the crowd of students upon the dance floor the whole evening, and he was sure that Edelgard was somewhere among them, hopefully enjoying herself… but he never saw her among them.

Yet, after a small moment of hesitation, a hint of a smile subconsciously appeared on his face.

"Of course."

Feeling almost as if a burden was lifted off of her chest, Edelgard smiled lightly in return before she led him towards the multiple pairs who were moving along with the music, a newfound feeling of joy and excitement now dwelling within her as she stepped upon the dance floor for the first time on that evening, along with her partner.

It was the knowledge that only moments before, she was watching the many pairs with a sense of envy, all the while not oblivious to the stares she received of those who were just waiting to approach her. But now she could actually live out the many daydreams she was having mere hours prior…

Edelgard remained silent, words evading her even though she remained more composed on the outside, before they reached the center of the hall and she turned to face Byleth directly, hesitantly taking both of his hands into her own to position themselves accordingly.

The music seemed to start anew in that very moment and she wasn't sure who of them moved first, but they soon found themselves in near complete sync with each other, dropping whatever remains of hesitation that were still lingering. Truthfully, she knew that her anxiety might have influenced her steps, but she wasn't sure whether or not Byleth was familiar with this kind of thing himself. In fact, she had been prepared to move more slowly, she didn't care in the slightest whether or not they would have stood out from the rest of the pairs.

But he didn't seem to have any kind of problem, either that, or he was quickly adapting. Which… she quickly discarded, for she knew him well enough by now that he wasn't very good in adapting to any kind of situation that was new to him if it wasn't on the battlefield. The mere thought only managed to bring a small smile to her face as they moved along the floor, their surroundings almost completely lost to her in that moment.

"You seem to enjoy yourself quite a lot.", her eyes met his own, and she witnessed the slight carefree glint within them.

"I've never been looking forward to these kinds of events… but somehow, it is different this time around.", her eyes evaded his own for a short moment, causing him to tilt his head ever so slightly.

"... in truth, I'm glad to have this opportunity right now, I couldn't have imagined it before…"

"You haven't been among the pairs before?", she met his gaze once more in that moment.

"No, I haven't."

However, the music stopped just then, signalling for a partner change among the already existing pairs, and the students discarded to search for a new one instead. Edelgard felt a tinge of disappointment, yet, once she witnessed the first stares they received from various students, she didn't hesitate for another moment and kept Byleth's hands within her own once he reluctantly meant to take a step back in order to give her space.

It earned her another curious but confused stare from him, but instead of answering his unasked question, she silently urged him to follow her outside. And despite his initial confusion, he allowed her to lead him away from the crowded hall, oblivious to the various disappointed stares he received from other students whose plans of asking him to be their partner were just ruined by Edelgard in that moment.

The cool night air felt refreshing for her, making her aware again just how much she disliked such crowded spaces upon any other circumstances. But since the outside of the hall wasn't entirely devoid of students either who seeked to escape the confines of the main hall, she didn't stop there and silently mentioned for Byleth to follow her a bit further, another destination coming into her mind.

Byleth looked at her expectantly the moment the both of them reached the end of the stairs at the top of the Goddess tower, and it was only then that she finally found the words that had previously been evading her a short while ago.

"Forgive me for dragging you here, I realize that you might like to-"

"It's alright. Is there something bothering you…?", Edelgard heaved a small sigh in relief, glad that she was simply away from the rest of the students, even if it was only for that moment.

"No no, it's not like that. I simply wanted to get away from the crowd for a while.", she regarded the balcony in front of her, a thought occurring in her mind once more.

"Do you know the history of this tower? It is said that if a pair meets here, good fortune would fall upon them."

"I didn't… then again, I haven't been here for too long…", his voice turned more hesitant, and she could practically feel the curious expression he was holding. It hadn't been her original intention to come here, but then again, the moment she had stepped into the main hall and laid eyes upon the many students who were already present, she didn't know how the evening would progress.

Though, now that everything happened as it did, she couldn't complain in the slightest.

"And yet it already feels like you have been with us for a long time. I'm sure the others feel the same way.", a fond smile graced her lips before she turned to face him directly.

"This myth originated from when my father was still a lot younger, and it was this exact place where he had met my mother… you could say that it was love at first sight.", she placed her hands upon the terrace, letting her gaze wander through the many buildings below.

"However, since the Empire demands many heirs, my mother could only settle as one of his many consorts…", her hands gripped the stone more tightly, her gaze turning a little more distant.

"And you are not happy about it.", Byleth's voice tore her out of her trance, and the slight anger within her subsided as quickly as it had appeared.

"I… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to appear that emotional about it. But yes, as it is, marriage among the nobility is merely used as a tool to gain more influence and power, something such as love doesn't hold a place within that old and withered system…", her voice turned more quiet at the end, and she almost whispered the last part to herself.

"... and I despise everything about it…", the words seemed to be stuck in her throat before she merely shook her head slightly, allowing a small smile to show on her face instead.

"In any way, I have never talked about any of this before with anyone... in a way, it is almost ironic, isn't it? This place simply seems to have an effect on us…", she reminisced about the first time they stood here, about that first night where sleep would always evade her before they both happened to meet at the very top of this tower. And now here they were once more, and she felt as if the words were simply escaping her without any thought to it. And yet…

"However, I believe it would be appropriate if you were to share something that you have never told anyone else either…", Byleth's eyes widened ever so slightly once he witnessed the mischievous glint that appeared within her eyes, something that he had never once seen before.

"Did you ever have a crush before?", Byleth evaded her searching eyes upon hearing that. She didn't know what it was that had driven her to ask something like this, but after everything they had shared with each other... she simply couldn't help it in this very moment as she had never before dared to do so.

"Please don't ask me something like that…", Edelgard studied him for a long moment, and despite her reassuring smile, her expression soon turned more serious.

"You do realize that this only makes me more curious…?", but despite that, there was something else hiding within her gaze, something that Byleth never noticed. However, it was only after a short moment of silence before she smiled at him once more in a reassuring manner, dropping the subject to release Byleth of his current position.

"Forgive me, you don't need to say anything, it wasn't my intention to pry.", her eyes wandered to the ground shortly afterwards, her smile slowly fading away as she intended to shove these thoughts and her previous demeanor away. She shouldn't have asked… but despite any of her rational thoughts… she just…

"How about you?", her eyes widened slightly in surprise once Byleth glanced back at her in pure wonder, and it only dawned upon her a short moment later what he meant before she averted her eyes. And yet, she found her previous anxiety filling her once more, all of her attempts to simply try and push it away being left in vain.

"I don't have any story to tell in that regard… there has never been a case.", her eyes flickered towards him shortly afterwards, and she suddenly found it hard to breathe.

"Anyway, we should probably return now before anyone notices our prolonged absence, and I wouldn't want to prevent you from mingling…", her eyes met his own once more, but despite any of it, she felt as if something had been lifted from her chest.

"... after all, I can't just keep you all to myself, can I?"


	10. Time Running Short

The days went past after the incident, and even though the students were slowly falling back into their daily routines again, the Archbishop was having constant thoughts about her enemies that were hiding in the shadows. She was more than aware now that it was not merely the Western Church involved, and her suspicions were more than enough reason for her to worry.

The reports about the so-called Flame Emperor… in almost every case known to her, he had played a role in it. And wherever he could draw his troops from, she didn't know how many there were. But neither could she be fully certain that he was behind all this alone, she doubted he was pulling all of the strings against her. There were more threats than him alone.

And all of them would perish, she would make sure of that. As would everyone else who dares to rise against the Church.

But the Archbishop was not the only one aware of the current situation, Jeralt was not one to be fooled by the seemingly peaceful atmosphere that had returned in the monastery. Something was happening, something was changing, and he was worried what would come next. For now, the next grand assignment drew near as the Battle of the Eagle and Lion was soon to be held in Gronder Field. His students were preparing fiercely for the upcoming fight which was going to be by far larger than the previous mock battle.

A chance for the other houses to prove themselves, or for them to prevail once again.

He hadn't noticed that he was merely staring at his small diary before he sighed, finishing the current entry while the students began to leave the classroom. Meanwhile, Edelgard was having her own plans in mind as she secretly regarded a letter in her hands, having read the content over and over again since the day prior. Her father's condition was getting worse every day…

She didn't have much time left, she would soon have to make her move. A crushing feeling was widening in her chest, the pressure of having to act soon was a weight that wouldn't lift from her. But that was no longer her only fear, for months she had expected this day to come and she knew very well what it would bring along. She was bound to go through her destined path alone, she would have to endure until she reached her goal and despite how many that were following her would fall, she could never look back.

But maybe… maybe it didn't have to be like this. She had a chance to take him with her, to sway him, she would just have to take another step forward. But a fear gripped her as well, for if she was not careful, it would be the last one as well.

She glanced upwards to see Byleth taking his leave as the last one before he went past her, albeit suddenly halting in his motions. Her eyes widened slightly when he looked back at her as if he had guessed it somehow. However, he quickly broke eye contact and left the classroom with a quickened step, causing her to look on with confusion. Was there something wrong she didn't know about…?

She hurried in putting the letter away before she got up from her seat, intent on following him.

Byleth, on the other hand, sat down on a nearby bench with no one else around as a giggling voice teased him in his mind.

_"See? I told you she was looking…"_

He sighed as he stared into the distance, frowning slightly at her amusement. _He_, in turn, was definitely not amused.

_"What is the matter? I can feel such a torrent of emotions radiating off you that it was simply not possible for me not to say anything. Even if you won't show it, you can't hide anything from me."_

Byleth was meekly surprised when Sothis suddenly stopped giggling, the amusement vanishing entirely from her voice.

_"They are conflicting, they are causing you pain… I can feel this as well. Do you wish to talk about anything…?"_

Her voice became more gentle, concerned about his well-being. And it bothered him greatly, for he didn't know himself what it was. For once, he already felt silly for walking away once he found Edelgard looking at him, much to Sothis's amusement as it proved her right. But in that moment, he didn't know what else he could have done. There was nothing he needed to discuss…

_"Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe she was thinking about something concerning you…"_

Byleth didn't entirely listen to her mumbling anymore after a while, instead, he closed his eyes in a means to ignore her.

_"... or maybe she wanted to talk with you."_

Byleth let a single thought go through his mind as a reply. What about?

_"... I think you're going to find out."_

Her giggling caused him to sigh before he snapped his eyes open, hearing a very familiar voice calling out for him.

"There you are, I figured you were here.", Byleth glanced to the side to see Edelgard approach him from the side, silently asking him if he would mind her taking a seat beside him. He merely nodded with another thought going through his mind, at second thought, he was not surprised she knew where he would be. She knew very well how much he preferred a more silent location whenever he had time to himself, and they had often met here as well. It almost became a habit.

"Was there something you wanted to talk about?", he chose to ignore the previous sensation, keeping a sideway glance trained on her in curiosity. He almost frowned once again at the stiffled giggling in the back of his mind, the origin of it not being his own.

Edelgard, on the other hand, was having second thoughts about her original intentions now that she had found him. It felt not right for her to bring such a topic up at this moment where everything seemed to be so peaceful around…

"I was thinking about the upcoming battle of the Eagle and Lion, everyone is training hard for the next fight.", not being the thing she originally wanted to talk about, she was slowly forming another way in her mind instead.

"I heard it is going to be a lot bigger than the previous mock battle, as well as taking place in the Empire, no?", Byleth turned to look at her, seeing her give a smile in return.

"Indeed, Gronder Field is a fitting place to hold the three armies that are going to clash against each other. This time, the other groups of our house will not support us, but instead, we will be assisted by a part of the Empire's army itself. It will be another chance to once again prove that we simply cannot be defeated if we work together.", a glint appeared in her eyes as she spoke the last few words.

Byleth gave a small hum before he shifted his gaze back into the distance, imagining the scenery. He had rarely been within the Empire now that he recalled, there were only two small missions they ever had within its territory, and the memory was fleeting. At the thought of going there, a strange feeling of excitement surged through him, and he simply couldn't place why. Was it because he felt closer to it now than before? It must have been… right?

In one way or another, he was connecting it with something joyful…

Perhaps he should ask his father about the few times he _did _spend there. Maybe he missed a detail, he didn't know.

Edelgard pondered about the option of using the mock battle which was already located within the Empire. It was the best opportunity to travel to Enbarr, it would be a shorter trip, as well as not having another assignment until the next month…

And he could accompany her there, all she would have to do is to convince him once the battle was over. She had made up her mind a long time ago, and if she wanted to have a chance to have him at her side once the time came, then she needed him to know.

"By the way, there is something I meant to ask you.", Byleth shifted his gaze back to her, curiosity reflecting in his eyes.

"It has been several months since you have come to us, and despite that, it feels like I have known you for a long time. I was wondering, what are your plans once we have all graduated and leave the monastery. Would you return to your former life?", her gaze was sternly fixated on him, regarding him closely.

"I have not thought about it yet… it would be most likely. I have learned much during this time, and I am grateful for the time I could stay here."

"Do you _want _to return to your old life?", the sudden question caught him off guard.

"I don't believe there is anything else for me to do, it is everything I have ever known…", she shifted her gaze to the ground as she pondered about her next words.

"I believe I have never told you, but I am glad that fate has sent you our way.", Byleth's eyes widened slightly when she looked back at him with a determined expression.

"Once I leave the monastery, I will return to the Empire to take my place as Emperor. It will be my duty to lead my people and to do so alone, the Emperor takes orders from no one… but, I feel it would be better if I would have somebody with me, to guide each other through the darkness…", leaving her sentence hanging in the air with an obvious intention, Byleth could not hold eye contact as he looked to the side, causing her expression to fall slightly.

"I would be unfit to do so.", at this, Edelgard's expression hardened ever so slightly, but not out of anger.

"I once told you that I want to change this world… and when the time comes, I want you to be on my side. You would help me more than you realize."

"I…"

A voice suddenly interrupted the both of them, Jeralt approaching the two of them from behind.

"Byleth, there is something I need to talk to you about the battle which will take place soon.", as he saw the two of them, he quickly added.

"If you can spare a moment, I'm sorry to interrupt."

"It is alright.", Byleth hesitantly got up from his seat, glancing at Edelgard one last time before he followed Jeralt into the monastery.

Once they were gone, Edelgard heaved a deep sigh as she looked to the ground, placing her hands on her lap. He was still unsure… and she cursed herself for her choice of words. The weight on her shoulders didn't cease in the slightest, and instead, even more doubt began to spread in her mind.

If only he would see…

* * *

The remaining days went past quickly and the three houses soon traveled to Gronder Field to prepare for the upcoming fight. For Byleth, it was a strange sight to see that many soldiers of the Kingdom and Alliance along with the knights of Seiros accompanying them. Although very familiar with bloodshed and combat, he was glad to have never witnessed a war ever before. Albeit he doubted there was a large difference from what he was already familiar with, the thought of his classmates ever having to go through a war was… conflicting.

But a part of him was also excited to see the other two houses again to clash with their own to show the results of their training, and he was more determined than ever to try and help the Black Eagles to achieve victory.

_"Strange, I doubt that this is the only thing you are striving to achieve. Or at least, not exactly."_

The only thing that appeared strange to him was how much Sothis seemed to be so very much amused at him out of some reason… he almost let the thought slip how much he didn't mind the time when she would rather not speak up. The sarcastic chuckle that followed in his mind caused him to frown briefly.

_"If I find out that you meant it I'm going to turn back the hands of time forever until you take that back."_

Meanwhile, Edelgard had kept close to him, albeit she noticed the small distance he kept. Despite her initial disappointment, he was giving the matter another thought, and that was all that mattered. As she walked near Byleth, she could overhear Jeralt explaining the rules of this battle to him.

"... this time, I will not be able to assist you all, you will be on your own. Me and the other professors are going to watch from atop the hill, and I'm confident that your classmates have all progressed very far in their abilities. But as I can see, it won't lack in support either.", Jeralt took a glance at the Imperial troops that were already stationed at the field in preparation as they arrived.

"We are now in Empire territory, we will give our all to achieve victory.", Byleth looked back at Edelgard as she surveyed everyone, wearing a confident expression before she turned towards them.

"Since I won't be the one leading them, I guess it would be most fitting for you to take the lead this time.", Jeralt said as he regarded the other houses and their respective leaders.

"Actually… that was not what I was having in mind.", Jeralt looked back at her in surprise as she faced Byleth instead who in turn watched her with uncertainty.

"Ever since you have joined us I have gotten to see how it is to fight alongside everyone instead of taking the lead. What do you think, Byleth? Do you think we can prevail?", albeit her question caught him off guard, he nodded without hesitation.

"I'm certain of it.", she smiled upon that.

"Then we will. I want you to come with me when we move to capture the middle of the field. There is a ballista that will give us a good advantage over the other two houses once we can take control of it. I want us both to lead the attack.", a small grin formed on Jeralt's face as he turned around to spread the message for the students to prepare themselves. He was never doubting for a second that they wouldn't need any guidance anymore at this point.

* * *

The knights took up position atop one of the hills overlooking the field, the Archbishop along with Seteth standing at the front. It was the last moment for everyone to prepare themselves as the three houses stood opposite of each other, each one intent on coming out as the victor.

"You all should know, we're not about to go easy on you!", Dimitri's voice rang across the field as he stepped in front of his troops, gripping his lance tightly.

"As long as we can pull off to win, it doesn't matter how.", Claude casually circled his bow in his hand before he rested in on his shoulder.

Edelgard watched the two house leaders with a calm expression before a smile slowly formed on her face. Byleth stood behind her as he readied his sword, using the ancient relic properly for the first time. However, before Edelgard said anything in return, she turned to see Byleth's determination in his eyes, smiling back at him.

"As long as we work together, we _will _prevail."

The flags on top of the hill were being raised, marking the beginning of the battle.

"Forward, now!", Edelgard commanded the main force to the front, the Imperials moving in unison as they charged forward.

"For honor!", Dimitri pointed his lance forward with a strong authority, his knights moving to the front as well.

Claude kept silent as he regarded his two opponents, merely raising his arm forward in a strong motion, causing his own troops to engage the others.

Byleth watched in anticipation as the first of their soldiers made contact with the other houses, trying to clear a way towards the middle of the field.

"Caspar, Ferdinand, assist our troops on the left to secure a safe passage towards the ballista, Linhardt, Petra, do so on the opposite side. Hubert, I want you to help Bernadetta in reaching the Ballista to ensure we can use it to our advantage. If we can achieve this, our chances will increase drastically."

Bernadetta visibly squirmed as she shakily turned her head towards Hubert, the latter merely staring back at her with a single, causing her to shake.

"W-what-"

"As you wish.", Hubert cut her off and moved forward, forcing her to follow behind. As she watched everyone go to their respective positions, Edelgard turned to face Byleth who was waiting for her to give him the order as well.

"We will have to be careful, we should move together and help the others gain the ballista. After that… well, I was hoping we could face Claude and Dimitri, they will be no match for us."

"Should I take this as a sign that you want to move past the frontlines once again?"

"Once we control the middle, their troops will be forced to focus their attention towards it. I would very much like to use this opportunity.", the smile she gave him was almost infectious as he nodded in return, suppressing the grin that threatened to form on his own lips.

* * *

Ashe gritted his teeth in frustration as he shot another arrow towards the dark mage, Hubert narrowly dodging the arrow. Bernadetta stood behind as the opposing archer focused on her companion, aiming a precise arrow towards him. Ashe was too late to see it coming as the wooden arrow hit him in the stomach, knocking his breath away. He knelt on the ground as he gave up, holding his stomach in pain.

"Take the ballista, I will hold off reinforcements.", Hubert fired a Miasma against an approaching Kingdom soldiers, the armored knight not standing a chance against his magic. Bernadetta watched the military device with uncertainty as she moved it to aim towards a group of Alliance soldiers that were trying to advance from the other side. She nearly jumped as the arrow soared through the air in no time before it hit its target, knocking a cavalier off of his horse.

Suddenly a feeling of satisfaction surged through her as she placed another arrow onto the device, aiming towards the remaining soldiers who were making a hasty retreat upon realizing their unfortunate position.

In the distance, Edelgard watched with content as both the Kingdom and Alliance soldiers temporarily retreated from the middle to regroup, giving them valuable time to decide this battle in their favor.

Dimitri ordered his soldiers around him to assist at the front lines before he halted in his motion, his eyes widening upon seeing Edelgard and Byleth approaching him from the side, leaving a trail of soldiers that were caught off guard by their sudden attack.

"Byleth? Edelgard? How… it was a risky decision to come here just by yourself to catch us by surprise."

"And it worked flawlessly, did it not? Our troops are gaining the upper hand, it is only a matter of time until we push the others back. It is merely an opportunity to end this sooner.", Dimitri hummed, closing his eyes briefly.

"But the same counts for you as well. If you were to fall here, we can turn the tide of this battle in our favor.", he opened his eyes again to see Edelgard merely shaking her head, giving a sideway glance towards Byleth.

"Unfortunately, we do not intend to lose now.", it caught the attention of the prince as he shifted his gaze towards Byleth as well, giving him a brief smile.

"I have never had the opportunity to test my skill against yours, Byleth. Despite what will be the outcome, I'm looking forward to see your abilities for my own eyes.", he shifted his eyes between the two of them, seeing how they were standing in unison, watching him closely. They were certainly a pair to be feared…

With a determined glance, Dimitri quickly charged forward with his lance pointed forward, aiming to hit Byleth first with a certain intention mind. There was something that he wanted to see for himself.

As Byleth braced himself for the incoming attack, Edelgard reacted immediately by coming to his aid, moving to his side to block the incoming charge with her axe. Before he could pull back, Byleth used the opportunity to strike back, narrowly cutting him into the side. Dimitri took several steps backwards while holding a hand to his injury, affecting his stance.

Without having to say anything, Byleth and Edelgard both rushed forward to deliver a swift and precise strike aimed at Dimitri's chest. With a gasp the prince fell to the ground, his lance rolling on the ground as he desperately tried to regain his breath, aware of the fact that he had lost.

They were more fearsome than he would have thought…

The sudden cheers of the Imperial troops caught the attention of the three as the last Kingdom soldiers were defeated, yielding under their superior numbers.

"It seems Claude didn't fare much better…", Dimitri muttered as a matter of fact as he saw the knights of Seiros raising the banner of the Empire, declaring the winner of the battle. Edelgard smiled with satisfaction and joy upon their victory.

They had proven once again that losing was not an option.

* * *

"Well, I certainly hope that we will never have to use this experience for a war. I would never want to be your enemy.", Claude held a hand to his side as he sighed.

"Now now, you know that we only won with a risky plan at best, if we were to fight again, there would be no telling in who would prevail.", Edelgard spoke reassuringly as the other two house leaders regarded her.

"True, be let us hope that it will never come to that.", as Byleth glanced at Edelgard, however, he saw that there was something that was hiding behind her mask. She could not suppress the feeling of victory, and despite what she said, he didn't believe her. If they were to fight again, he was sure that Edelgard would be certain in achieving victory.

"What do you think, Byleth?", Edelgard turned back to look at him with pure curiosity reflecting in her eyes, but her question was carrying a purpose as well. She wanted to know what he believed about this matter…

"I believe we have won without an issue.", unbeknownst to everyone, Claude's expression fell slightly upon hearing this.

"Byleth… I have never seen you talk like this before. We shouldn't underestimate them at any time.", Edelgard told him as she turned towards him completely, albeit not being able to hide her true thoughts as a bright smile formed on her lips, unseen by the other two house leaders.

"I have an idea, why don't we celebrate this with a grand feast once we return to the monastery to break down the walls between our respective houses! And with a grand feast I mean a good dinner in the dining hall…"

"That sounds like a perfect idea, you can count me in.", as the two of them looked at Edelgard for confirmation, she turned around to shake her head mildly to their surprise.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to join you on this, there is still something that I had planned on doing once the battle was over. However, I am sure that the others would gladly participate.", before the two house leaders could ask anything about her plans, she looked back at Byleth and motioned for him to follow her.

"There is something that I wish to talk to you about.", Edelgard's voice turned more quietly as both of them took their leave. Byleth had a feeling that it involved something that was very important to her, listening closely to her words.

"Two days ago, I have received a letter from the capital, Enbarr. As you may know, the current Emperor, my father, is in very bad health… his time is growing shorter with every day.", Byleth froze in place as a gasp escaped him, a sudden feeling of sadness and sympathy surging through him, surprising himself. He did not want her to suffer…

"That is why I am going back to the capital myself, as there is something very important I must do… what I'm meaning to ask of you is, will you come with me?", Byleth did not move an inch as Edelgard stood in front of him, gazing back into his eyes intensely as she patiently waited for his reply. Multiple thoughts and sensations coursed through him as she looked at him, a glint in her eyes. There was something hiding beneath them, something that he could not place. But aside from everything, he could hear something radiating within him, something that he had never heard before, ringing deeply in his mind. He made his choice.

Her eyes widened for the briefest of seconds before she smiled at him in gratitude.

"Thank you, I will not forget that. We should go immediately to reach it by nightfall."

And for the first time, Byleth felt that he had made an important decision, one that he firmly believed was right.


	11. Roar of Dominion

Byleth was gazing upon the old but firm buildings as he followed Edelgard through the streets of the Imperial Capital, Enbarr. It was different from the architecture of what he had often seen from both the Kingdom and the Alliance, everything was almost completely similar to one another, the houses looked old but gave off an impressive atmosphere as they stood tall, the colours resembling the order and discipline of the people and soldiers that were walking the streets.

Edelgard was more than aware of Byleth admiring the Capital, feeling a sense of pride swelling up in her chest. Although Byleth had expressed his curiosity on why she wished for him to accompany her, she insisted on merely letting him know that she didn't wanted any other to come with her on this occasion, for she had a single purpose in her mind. Even though it was unbeknownst to Byleth, Edelgard was feeling more than anxiety surging through her with every step they took towards the palace. She was not sure how to proceed once she had claimed the title of Emperor, how would she let him know what she wanted to share with him for so long? How could she take another step forward with the knowledge that he was yet uncertain?

But one thing she knew, her time was running short. And she feared the possible outcomes.

Guards and soldiers were bowing along the way as they approached the large double doors that were leading into the palace, their presence already being announced to the Emperor who was waiting inside. Byleth only hesitantly followed Edelgard inside the palace, causing her to give him a reassuring smile.

"There is no need to worry, you are with me.", despite his discomfort, he visibly relaxed much to Edelgard's delight. Upon entering the grand throne room, Byleth regarded the current Emperor who was awaiting their arrival, two heavily armored guards standing on each side as they proceeded forward. Byleth could not help the feelings of empathy going through him as he looked upon her father, the old man's expression weak and tired, his eyes only reflecting the last sparks of life that were still present. However, upon seeing Edelgard approaching him, the faintest glint appeared in his eyes.

"Edelgard…"

"Father, I have returned. Forgive me for asking this of you, but… I know how much pain you're in, how the burden of the throne weighs heavily on you. And so-"

"There is no need to apologize, Edelgard. You must know… that I don't have much time left in this world. The time has come.", the guards shifted their heads towards the Emperor, a pained cough escaping him. It was only then that Byleth finally realized what all of this was about, what was going to happen. And it caused new questions to replace the former ones, for Edelgard wanted him to accompany her to witness her coronation.

Why?

"Thank you, Father.", Byleth could see the sorrow on her expression, but her eyes were reflecting something else…

"Now, to complete the Imperial succession, you must relinquish your crown here in the throne room.", and her voice was not hiding it as well. It was lacking any empathy.

"The Archbishop of the Church of Seiros would normally act as witness, but a representative will fill that role instead.", his eyes searched Edelgard's in an instant as she gave him a subtle glance, her eyes beckoning him to play along. Byleth remained silent, merely giving a curt nod upon seeing the Emperor's gaze shifting over towards him. He trusted her in her intentions…

"Edelgard…"

"From this day forward, the weight of the Empire's future shall rest upon my shoulders. All that I do will be for the benefit of the people of Fodlan. This, I promise."

Slowly, her father rose from the throne and stood before her, taking the crown from his head.

"Edelgard von Hresvelg… the Crown is yours. By the covenant between the red blood and the white sword, and by the double headed eagle upon your head, I hereby pronounce you the new Emperor. Are you prepared to take those responsibilities as your own?"

"In accordance with the ancient covenant, and in keeping with the Hresvelg legacy… I swear that upon this throne, I shall use my reign to lead Fodlan to a new dawn and to achieve peace for all."

"Then the Imperial succession is complete. My daughter, I regret that I could do no more for you…", the guards in the entire throne room bowed down to their new Emperor as the Crown rested proudly on Edelgard's head. Byleth could hardly keep his eyes on her as he glanced towards the ground, a new feeling of unfamiliarity coming to the surface.

_"I may be the Imperial princess, but here at the academy I am only a mere student. All I ask is for you to treat me as you would… the others."_

And despite that, it felt like a new person was standing in front of him…

He became lost in his thoughts until Edelgard shifted her full attention towards him as if she was aware of his thoughts, causing him to snap out of it as she gave him the same reassuring smile that managed to take his worries away in an instant.

"Your majesty! You shouldn't leave your bed in your current condition-", Edelgard turned towards the new voice, the rather small man wearing expensive clothes.

"Oh, forgive my interruption, I didn't know the princess was visiting?", whether or not he was trying to hide it, the irritation and confusion was obvious in his tone, and so was the change in tone of Edelgard as well.

"You are mistaken, Prime Minister. From now on, you shall call me by my rightful title as Emperor.", as neutral as her expression may have been, Byleth could hear the joy in seeing the Minister's face fall as he stuttered something incomprehensible.

"Wha- but, this, this can't be-"

"I'm afraid this was the last time you have seen the light of day for a _long_ time.", Byleth's eyes widened when two soldiers were immediately behind the Minister, bringing him away and into a small corridor until they were gone. Before he could administer her words, Edelgard had already noticed the shock in his eyes, glancing at the ground for a brief moment in guilt. She would have to explain this, she could imagine how it must have looked like from his perspective…

"For now, we should return to the monastery.", she kept her tone neutral despite her warm expression to maintain the formal attitude. Byleth nodded in agreement as Edelgard removed the Crown for the time being, giving it into the care of a servant who bowed in respect before taking his leave.

…

"Forgive me for not telling you sooner, but I wanted you to be present on the day of my coronation.", her words were but a whisper as she looked into the open night sky, the stars gazing back at her as they glimmered far above.

"But, I don't understand. Why me? And why didn't you wanted anyone else to know…?", at this, Edelgard shifted her gaze towards him, her eyes gleaming.

"I, simply wanted you to be the first. And in truth, I was very nervous myself… your presence soothed me a lot.", Byleth merely looked to the side, not knowing what to make out of this answer. Edelgard, on the other hand, was torn between telling him the rest of the truth or keeping him in the dark, for she wished nothing more than to tell him right then and there. All she would have to do was to reach out for him…

"I hope I haven't scared you with my command, you must know, the Prime Minister was one of the people responsible for my father to be in the position he currently was. In a series of political decisions, they have stripped him of most of his power in the end… even if the Minister was only one of them, he was by far one of the most important ones. I have merely done what my father should have a long time ago.", she glanced at Byleth to see that he was deep in thought, giving a curt nod in acknowledgement before she looked back at the stars again, a warm thought crossing her mind.

"Despite that, you and I have been friends for a long time now, have we not? I am overjoyed that you chose to come with me today, it… it wouldn't have been the same otherwise. For that, I'm very thankful.", with each word, the unfamiliar sensation grew stronger until Byleth merely opted to gaze upon the sky instead, letting all that passed go through his mind once more to calm himself.

However, as Edelgard took note of the faintest shade of red on his face, her smile grew before she followed his gaze to watch the stars until sleep would come for them. Soon they would be back in the monastery again, and soon… soon it would all come together. She wondered, no, she pleaded for him to make the right choice once the time came, as hope was the only thing she could cling to. Hope that the light would not abandon her.

"Did you truly grieve for your father?", the sudden question caused her to look back at him, her eyes widened slightly. How could he know…?

In the end, she heaved a long sigh before she closed her eyes.

"It is… complicated. As it is, I remember the times when they would take me and my siblings for torture. My father was helpless, just like us. Stripped of his power and forced to watch us suffer.", after a brief hesitation she shifted her gaze back towards Byleth, searching his eyes for understanding.

"I am torn between. Could you imagine the feelings of hurt and betrayal to see your own father watching you suffer without the means to rescue you? Even to this day, even when I know the truth, it… it hurts.", realizing that her own memories were tearing at her emotional mask, she forced them into the back of her mind as well as the words that died in her throat, not allowing them to be spoken.

Until a pair of arms gently pulled her into a hug, causing her to look back at him. Byleth didn't utter a single word as he silently held her, allowing her to let her emotions go free as she slowly hugged him back, wordlessly accepting it. At second thought, a grin formed on her face as a chuckle threatened to escape her at the irony of this. After all this time, she entrusted him with everything she had sworn never to share with anyone else, and now… she thought she would still have to hide her emotions like this.

"Can I ask you for a favor?", Byleth pulled back to her disapproval as she looked at him in wonder. Remaining silent for her to continue, she tried to think of the right words.

"If… if by any chance one of us had to leave the monastery sooner, would you agree to meet me there again in five years from today?", taken aback by the unexpected question, he nodded without hesitation. A small smile formed on her face.

"You _will _come, won't you? Regardless of what might be, I will be there.", she closed her eyes in content, but suddenly her smile vanished and a melancholic look replaced it instead.

"Promise me… that you won't forget me…"

* * *

Jeralt looked onward with a hardened expression as Byleth and Edelgard entered the courtyard of the monastery, the mercenary having waited for their arrival. As soon as they were near, he wasted no time in speaking up.

"I'm glad to see that nothing happened during your little trip.", Edelgard tensed ever so slightly as Jeralt gave her a sideway glance, his gaze seemingly piercing through her. Did he not approve of her actions that much…?

"Byleth, there is something I wanted to talk to you about, but the Archbishop has requested for you for something very important. If you can spare the time afterwards, I would like to talk to you in my quarters later.", Byleth gave a curt nod before a question came into his mind, but his father seemingly remembered something as well as he quickly added.

"Before I forget, Lady Rhea is waiting for you in her headquarters. I don't know what exactly she has in mind, but be on your guard. She mentioned an old underground chamber that I have never heard or seen before.", Edelgard's eyes widened for a brief second before Jeralt turned his attention towards her.

"As for you, can you follow me for a moment? It's important as well.", she watched Byleth taking his leave before she looked back at Jeralt, struggling to keep her distress out of her voice.

"Of course."

Motioning for her to come with him, she quietly walked beside her teacher as she patiently waited for him to say what was on his mind.

"I was quite surprised when I learned that you traveled away after the fight, I didn't know about that.", Jeralt kept his gaze directed forward as she glanced at him. She had an uneasy feeling about this.

"It was irresponsible of me not to inform you beforehand, for that, I am truly sorry. But I had my reasons.", at this, Jeralt regarded her from the corner of his eye.

"It's not my intention to pry into your personal matters, but if you would let me know why you needed Byleth to join you on this little trip? I merely want to be informed, surely you can understand, I'm simply concerned when he suddenly disappears without me knowing."

"It was… merely a personal favor, I wished to show him more of the Empire.", she desperately searched for the right words as she concealed her emotions, it was not the right time to share her original reasons as of now. Jeralt gave a low hum as he closed his eyes before he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, causing Edelgard to freeze as well as he looked back at her with a piercing glare.

"Well, if you can explain this thing here as well, then I might consider believing you.", her eyes widened in utter horror as Jeralt pulled out a mask out of his bag, monotone and painted crimson on its left side. Before she could do as much as say anything in return, Jeralt drew a sword from his belt, holding it to his side.

"I found this when I failed to find you in your quarters, neatly hidden in a small box along with a very familiar cloak. Despite my thoughts about you, I would have never believed this if I hadn't seen it myself.", words failed her as Edelgard found herself cornered by her teacher, not able to say anything to her defense. And neither could she even think about harming-

A loud roar suddenly echoed through the air, accompanied by the screams of several students, catching the attention of the both of them. Edelgard quickly turned back towards Jeralt with a desperate expression, seeing the internal clash her teacher was having in his mind. In the end, he gritted his teeth before he put the mask into his bag again, narrowing his eyes in a warning.

"This is not over yet.", he rushed towards the commotion, leaving Edelgard behind in a flurry of thoughts. So this was how it turned out to be, no matter what she did now, she wouldn't be able to stall for time any longer. Her troops were stationed, she only had to set everything into motion, but…

She would not go while leaving his father alone in a fight.

…

"What in the…", Jeralt stood paralyzed as a wall was torn apart by the demonic beast that was standing tall in front of him, swiping a knight away with an annoyed slash of its arm.

"Captain! Goodness, we could use your help here against these fiends.", Alois spoke urgently as the beast let out another ear piercing roar.

"How did demonic beasts end up here? Not even the alarms are ringing!", Jeralt pushed Alois out of the way as a knight was sent flying by a tail swipe of the towering beast, knocking the unfortunate soldier against the wall behind them.

"I don't know, I couldn't believe the report myself until we found ourselves cornered by these things. The only thing we know is they came from a crypt nearby, and I've seen your students strolling around here, too! They insisted on helping us.", Jeralt sighed before he focused on the beast in front of them again as it aimlessly striked against the nearby walls and structures, not caring what was blocking its path.

"Then let's start helping them by striking down this one first!"

Meanwhile, Dorothea worked together with Caspar as she healed a long cut on his side while Ferdinand and Linhardt took turns in catching the monster's attention, slowly wearing it out as its wounds became more serious with each of their attacks. Linhardt focused on a crucial spot in its barrier before launching a Nosferatu, breaking through a small part. The energy that was set free went all over it until became confused, its head lowered to the ground.

"Bernie, now would be a good time to point an arrow at its head!", the girl in question, however, was frozen in place as the beast's eyes were unfortunately directed towards her through its dizziness, causing her arms to shake.

"Hold on, I will help!", Petra rushed in from behind her and narrowed her eyes, focusing on a spot directly between its eyes before she pierced through it with her sword. Her eyes widened briefly when she couldn't retrieve her weapon anymore, the blade stuck deeply in its hide. Not thinking twice about it, she let go of it as the beast reared up its head in sheer agony before dissolving into black mist, the sword clattering to the ground.

Bernadetta slumped to the ground and took deep breaths, staring wide eyed at the now empty space in front of the students. It took her a moment to notice the hand that was being offered to her as Petra helped her back on her feet, giving her a great smile.

"Was that the last of them…? It's starting to get tiring…", Linhardt tried to catch his breath, the consistent use of magic taking its toll on him. How much he wished for a nap right then and there as the danger seemed to be gone now.

"Has anyone seen Hubert by the way? Not that I doubt he could defend himself from probably three of these things at once, but…", Dorothea looked around the open area to see that their classmate was absent from the battlefield.

"Maybe he didn't hear from it? I'm sure that I've seen him a couple of hours ago in the dormitory.", Linhardt exclaimed as he, too, took a look around.

However, a small distance away another roar echoed through the air, signalling the presence of yet another demonic beast that had yet to be slain.

"I will go see if I'm able to help!", Petra rushed off with Caspar closely following behind.

"Don't leave me out, I'm not done with them yet!"

The beast in question roared a second time once Jeralt and Alois both gave the finishing blow as long as it was confused, causing it to dissipate as well. With that, Jeralt could take a moment to rest, lowering his sword.

"A fine work, you still have it within you as always.", Alois commented with an exhausted voice, giving up on talking to breath properly instead.

"Mister, are you alright?", Jeralt snapped back into attention as a student came up from behind.

"Monica? You shouldn't be wandering around, especially here and now. It would be best if you went back to the medical wing, it might not be safe yet."

"I'm sorry, I've heard what happened and wanted to help immediately! Are they all gone…?", she looked around the area with a searching look.

"I believe so, but we'll check the area to make sure. They won't threaten anyone anymore.", Monica clasped her hands together as she closed her eyes with a smile, hiding the twitching of her left eye.

"Thank you, Mister! Who knows what could've happened otherwise…", Jeralt merely gave a small acknowledging smile in return before she turned to take her leave as she went around him.

His eyes snapped open as he heard the sound of metal behind him, a shudder going through him when a clashing sound followed.

"W-what!? Edie, what are you-", the words died in her throat as Edelgard pierced her stomach with her axe, her dagger clattering to the ground. Jeralt swirled around with shock evident in his eyes, staring at the sight in front of him. Edelgard merely stood over the imposter, a look of disgust crossing her face. So this was what her uncle had in mind, creating demonic beasts in order to wreak havoc within the monastery itself.

She couldn't help but wonder, if she would have delayed her coronation, maybe she could have prevented this, she could have stopped Kronya… but as she looked back at Jeralt, relief flooded her eyes. At least she saved the life of his father…

"I'm glad you're alright.", silence hang in the air as he stared at Edelgard, the grip on his sword tightening slightly.

"Captain, we need your help with- wait, what happened here!", Jeralt turned to see Alois along with a group of knights rushing towards him, staring at the sight in front of them. However, as he turned around once again, Edelgard was already gone.

* * *

_"This place… it looks just like-" _

Byleth looked up to see the large throne that was located at the far end of the big chamber, piles of rocks and rubble covering the sides of the ancient hall. Lady Rhea calmly lead the way, a content smile resting on her face while Byleth continued to gaze upon the place in wonder. However, a tinge of discomfort dwelled up inside of him, much to his confusion.

"I have wanted to show you this place for a long time, only few know of its existence."

In his mind, he questioned if something was bothering Sothis, for the sensation grew stronger with each passing second.

_"I have an uneasy feeling about this…"_

"This throne holds a special meaning…", she turned around and smiled at him warmly, yet, Byleth grew weary.

"Ever since I laid eyes upon you, I knew that you were different. Once, the Goddess Sothis would talk to those who were worthy to receive her words when they sat upon this throne. If you sat upon it, maybe she would talk to you as well.", a gasp escaped him simultaneously along with Sothis, both of them needing a moment to process what they just heard. Upon his inquiry, Sothis remained silent before muttering out her thoughts.

_"I don't know if… or how this would even be possible…"_

The Archbishop was not unaware of the blank expression that settled upon Byleth's face, a look of concern replacing her smile.

"Is there something wrong?", snapping out of his trance, Byleth quickly shook his head as he regained his composure.

"N-no, I have just never heard the name of the Goddess before.", if Byleth hadn't been as occupied with his own thoughts, he would have been more aware of the shocked expression of the Archbishop. Albeit she quickly suppressed it before she merely smiled at him in assurance.

"Oh, I was not aware. It is of no consequence.", she stepped to the side and motioned towards the throne.

"If you don't mind, would you try to sit upon it?", Byleth looked back at it, the uncomfortable sensation resurfacing again. However, after a brief hesitation, he took a few steps forward while dismissing the many thoughts into the back of his mind.

"That's enough!", Byleth stopped dead in his tracks as he turned around to see Edelgard at the entrance of the hall, her eyes set upon him. However, it was only when suddenly more figures appeared at the entrance that it caused him to look back at her with worry.

A battalion of Imperial soldiers stood at her back, waiting for an order to be issued. The Archbishop narrowed her eyes, her gaze piercing through the house leader who in turn remained calm.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"Remove the Creststones from this place and bring them out of here.", the soldiers obeyed as they immediately got to work, opening the many caskets which contained them.

"I will not allow you to fool him for your own purposes. Not while I'm still alive.", the Archbishop tightened her hands into fists as her calm demeanor broke into pieces, her anger reflecting in her eyes.

"I will not tolerate such an act from the Empire, how dare you desecrate this holy place!", Edelgard's cold expression faltered when Byleth took a step toward her, hurt reflecting in his eyes.

"Why are you doing this?", at this, Edelgard could no longer refrain herself as she spoke her mind.

"These stones are like poison to the world, I must destroy them. You have seen what they are capable of, and yet the Church is maintaining all of this."

"Fool! It is the punishment for those who are not worthy of the Goddess's power, and you have no right to desecrate this place with your vile intentions!"

"I have every right. As the Adrestian Emperor, Edelgard von Hresvelg, I order you to surrender.", Edelgard pointed her axe at her while two armored Imperials approached her with their lances raised. Her fists started to shake before the earth suddenly trembled, the soldiers stopping in their tracks when her eyes started to glow.

"How… dare **you**…!", a bright light illuminated the entirety of the hall, causing the soldiers to cover their eyes before an ear piercing roar echoed through the room. Without having the chance to react, the soldiers were crushed beneath a large wing. As Byleth gazed upon the great dragon that was now standing beside him, he could feel the earth tremble beneath him.

"So that is it, the Immaculate One. The beings who have enslaved Fodlan for far too long."

**"Byleth, kill her! Such a rebellious heart must not be allowed to keep beating!" **

The words made him gasp as he looked at the Sword of the Creator on his belt, his hands wavering. How could all of this happen…?

The Imperials abandoned their original objective once they witnessed the great beast that was now standing at the centre of the ruins, all of them moving in unison to try and attack her, managing to occupy her for the time being.

"Byleth!", as he tore his gaze away from the battle, Edelgard stood only a few paces away from him, her weapon now only loosely in her hand as she looked at him with a desperate expression.

"Come with me, we don't have much time. This is what the Archbishop truly is, a monstrous being that is responsible for the tyranny of the Church! This is what I had been meaning to tell you for so long…", this was the moment she had dreaded, for he was the one person she did not wish to make an enemy of. All this time she had shared with him, all this time she had tried to sway him into seeing reason behind her words… she believed in him. She wished for nothing more than for him to be on her side.

Byleth looked down as she reached out her hand for him.

_"I once told you that I want to change this world… and when the time comes, I want you to be on my side."_

All of the memories surged through his mind, and only now did everything fall together.

_"... I think it would be better if I had somebody with me… to guide each other through the darkness."_

He could have never known, and now he was presented with a choice.

"Come with me…", her eyes turned pleading as she looked at him, internally begging for him to take her hand. A group of soldiers was burnt into crisps as a dragon breath erupted on the floor, their screams echoing in the hall. The Immaculate One turned her head to see Edelgard in front of Byleth, her eyes narrowing with rage.

**"You…!"**

Edelgard gritted her teeth when she saw the beast charge another dragon breath, aiming it towards her. Not wasting another second she grasped his hand into her own, glancing into his eyes apologetically before she pulled him with her, escaping the vicinity as the attack only narrowly missed them at the entrance. The impact caused only more rocks and rubble to fall down, blocking the only entryway as the dragon crushed the last soldiers with her claws. She looked towards it with anger, her wrath fueling the fire in her maw. It only delayed the inevitable.

…

Claude looked at the assembled knights and students who had all worked together to fight off the demonic beasts, resting his bow on his shoulder before Dimitri joined the house leader from the side.

"How it could ever come to something so horrible is beyond me, we must find those who are responsible for this.", Dimitri thought about the students who were caught up in the fight, many of them heavily injured by the monstrosities. He couldn't comprehend how somebody would do this without remorse, and neither did he understand how the beasts were created in the first place. There was too much they didn't know about…

Claude, on the other hand, surveyed the crowd of students and knights for any sign of Byleth.

"Have you by chance seen-", Claude was interrupted when a distressed knight caught the attention of everyone, reporting to Jeralt.

"Sir, a whole army is marching towards the monastery! They are already at the outskirts!", Claude and Dimitri both tensed as they listened.

"Calm down, were you able to identify them?", the knight raised his head with fear written all over his face.

"It's the Imperial army!", a collective gasp ran through the many students before they whispered among each other, the Black Eagles simply standing there in utter disbelief. Claude looked on with a perplexed expression, albeit still more calmly than Dimitri.

"This can't be! Surely this is just… where is Edelgard?", Dimitri desperately looked over the crowd, refusing to believe what he just heard. Jeralt was having the exact same thought before he looked back to the distressed knight, waiting for an order.

"Spread the message, and ring the alarm! I will go and see for the Archbishop.", the knight nodded and immediately turned to rush off. The students, however, were still confused and uncertain, fear slowly rising up as well.

"Everyone, assemble in the dining hall and stay there until we have further information on this, you must remain calm!", Jeralt did his best not to unsettle the students even more, a group of knights assisting him in leading the crowd away. But in truth, Jeralt had only one thing in mind as he drew his sword and hurried to the entrance of the underground ruins. Byleth was there, and regardless of what happened, he would make sure nothing harmed him as long as he was still here.

…

Once they were safely out of the ruins, Edelgard looked back at Byleth as he retracted his hand, the sounds of clashing steel and war cries in the distance.

"What is going on…?", Byleth couldn't tear his eyes away from her as he looked at her for an answer. She had just attacked the Archbishop herself, she had invaded the ruins with her troops, she _knew _the consequences of her actions. She had planned all of this.

"Byleth… I didn't mean for you to find out like this…", she closed her eyes briefly before a look of pure determination appeared in her eyes.

"But you have seen the true image of the Archbishop, as well as the Church! Regardless of who stands up against its tyranny, they are slaughtered without a second thought. Its influence is reaching over most of the Kingdom and Alliance as well, and as long as the Church persists, the world will never be free of these cursed Crests that are responsible for so much suffering!", her gaze softened as she once again took a step towards him.

"We are the only ones who can stand up against it. I have told you once, I sweared that as Emperor, I would change this world.", with each step, Byleth grew more conflicted, the pain of all of the feelings and sensations fighting against each other as he looked at her, all of the memories coming back to him. It was only when she was almost directly in front of him that she once again held out her hand.

"Will you be with me?", his eyes were trained on her open hand for a long moment before suddenly quick steps approached them. She reacted on instinct as she parried a blow from a sword, the force against her axe increasing which caused her to struggle with each moment.

"Get back, she is responsible for the attack on the monastery!", Byleth's eyes widened when he saw Jeralt fighting against Edelgard, the latter only dodging and blocking his swings to the best of her abilities, refusing to meet him in combat.

Suddenly, the earth trembled again before the entrance to the ruins was ripped open by the Immaculate One who roared against the sky. Jeralt let up as he saw the towering dragon rising.

**"Traitor, you can run if you wish, but you will not escape judgement!"**

Rhea did not focus on Byleth as she spoke, her sharp gaze only trained on the house leader. Jeralt was at a loss for words before a group of Imperial soldiers suddenly advanced into the area with Hubert at the lead, seeing their Emperor cornered by the dragon. Ordering them to act immediately, the soldiers hesitated before they moved to obey, Hubert charging dark magic in his hands. As Edelgard witnessed this, she was thankful for the assistance as she looked back at Jeralt.

"I'm not your enemy, I don't wish to fight you!", Jeralt spared a single glance at her as he muttered his last words to her.

"When I saw you in our first training session fighting with Byleth, I was surprised to see how much you both trusted each other. I believed that you two could overcome obstacles that you would normally not be able to cross. But with each passing day, I began to realize that this was only a short sighted belief. You are playing with the lives of many, you are starting something that will cause the death of countless people. I cannot let you do that.", without waiting for a reply, Jeralt struck another time with a crushing strike of his sword.

Only for it to be met with the same force in return, halting it in its path.

Jeralt looked up to see Byleth's own gazing back at him, tears threatening to roll down his face. A mere gasp escaped him as father and son stared at each other, the destruction around them all but forgotten as Byleth defended Edelgard.

"Don't…", Jeralt's eyes widened in utter horror as Byleth's voice was merely an almost silent plea, and everything that he had kept hidden within himself had broken free once his own mask shattered, unable to contain his emotional turmoil that built up ever since he started to learn the truth about her.

And his mind has made its decision. No… not his mind… his…

The Immaculate One mercilessly struck the Imperials in her path, ending their lives with swift movements. When she witnessed the scene below her, a maddening sense of anger overcame her, clouding any reasonable judgement.

"Byleth…", Jeralt's voice failed him as the pressure on Byleth's sword slowly faded away before he pulled back entirely, his eyes seemingly staring through his son. He knew. He knew he followed his heart, even if Byleth didn't know it himself. His eyes revealed everything, every emotion and hurt that dwelled inside of him, everything that he would only sparsely even show to Jeralt himself. And they also revealed that he would never stand down, he wouldn't leave her side…

He closed his eyes before his mouth curled upwards ever so slightly in disbelief. He was his father, he had sworn ever since his mother died to look after him, to protect him, to care for him, and yet, all this time… he failed to see just how close he had gotten to-

Suddenly a blast erupted in front of them, snapping them back to reality as the Immaculate One fired a last and devastating attack, aiming it towards Byleth. His son stood frozen in place as Jeralt turned back to him, a single thought running through his mind.

Byleth couldn't even comprehend what happened around him as Jeralt had rushed and embraced him, covering Byleth beneath him to protect him.

Edelgard snapped out of her own trance as a hand suddenly grabbed her on her arm, trying to pull her away from the imminent blast. She resisted fiercely as she immediately broke free from the hold to see Hubert's distressed expression, worry reflecting in his eyes.

"Your Majesty, you _have _to get away from here!"

"_**No**_! Not without-", for once in his lifetime, Hubert gritted his teeth and disobeyed her as he teleported them both further away from the blast, ready to take any further consequences onto his account to get her to safety.

Byleth could merely look back in shock into his father's eyes as he covered him, holding him tightly.

"Forgive me… I never knew… I could have never known that your first tears would be for her… whatever happens, follow your heart… even if I can't be with you anymore…", he closed his eyes as he held Byleth even tighter, praying to the heavens that he would survive.

A gasp made him open his eyes one more time, seeing his son's eyes widening as a tear dropped onto his face, his body suddenly starting to glow in a bright light, illuminating him from within.

And the blast hit its mark.


	12. Crimson Flower

A tickling feeling caused Byleth to groan internally, the sleepiness still affecting him deeply as he subconsciously moved his head slightly, however, only for the tickling sensation to increase over his face.

_'Byleth, it's time to stand up…'_

Despite the soothing and comforting tone in the voice, Byleth made no attempt to obey as he remained on the ground, trying to let sleep to overcome him again.

_'Fine, that's enough. Get on your feet, right now.'_

The comforting tone disappeared and was instead replaced with annoyance and irritation, causing him to stir, his eyes slowly opening to try and see who was disturbing him. His mind was foggy as he shifted his weight onto his left arm to support himself off the ground slightly, his vision still blurry.

_'I wouldn't have sacrificed my power for you to remain here… remember. Remember what happened. You must wake up and see the world again.'_

He blinked, trying to make sense of the words spoken to him until he realized with a gasp that the voice was inside his head. And with that, the memory fell back into place as he swiftly got up, however, only to stumble to the ground again once his vision started to blur from the sudden movement. Multiple thoughts surged through his mind as he held a hand to his head, taking slow breaths.

How was he still alive…?

_'Forgive me, for you to be here, alone… but I couldn't shield both of you. I could only bring you to safety with the last of my power, in the hopes of seeing you rise up once again. To see that you are still well, I don't regret it in the slightest to have given you my power. Meet the world again, Byleth. There is much for you to live up to…"_

As the voice vanished from his mind, he felt a sudden twinge of loneliness as the meaning of her words slowly started to worm into his mind. Where was…his father…

He desperately looked around himself, finding no other presence than himself in the middle of a giant field. The realization caused too many feelings to surface within himself as he took a last glance around, feeling lost and abandoned. Where was everyone he knew…? What happened after the impact…?

Where was he right now?

Taking a glance on his belt, the only thing that was still with him was the Sword of the Creator, still resting on his belt. But it only gave him small comfort, for he didn't even know how long it has been. The memory still seemed to be so vivid in his mind…

"Hey, who goes there?", he perked up in worry as suddenly metal footsteps approached him, looking around once more to see two armored soldiers coming closer. He recognised their colour…

His expression must have somewhat shown through since one of the soldiers held up a hand in assurance as Byleth took a small step back.

"Easy there, we're not going to arrest you. But you are still in closed off Imperial territory, I must remind you to stay away from the monastery up there.", Byleth glanced upwards to see the familiar building not far away, a sudden feeling of relief going through him. And yet, Imperial territory? How was that possible? Edelgard must have succeeded in taking it over…

Upon the sudden realization, Byleth shifted his gaze away from the towering building and back towards the two Imperials, their own expressions covered by their helmets.

"Do you know what year it is currently?", one of the soldiers subtly looked at his companion for a brief second before shifting his attention back to Byleth.

"... yes, of course, but… are you certain that everything is alright? You seem a bit lost-"

"Hold on, that sword on your belt…", both of them shifted their focus on his relic, uneasiness creeping into his mind. However, their attention was soon directed towards the sudden noise in the distance, causing both soldiers to ignore it for the time being.

"What's that?", one of them moved forward a bit to take a closer look into the distance before he suddenly jerked back, seeing the large amount of soldiers that were heading their way and towards the monastery, large blue banners flying in the wind.

"Report back to the monastery and spread the message, I'll see if I can warn the sentry posts!"

"Right away!", the soldier took his leave as the second one looked back at Byleth, eyeing him cautiously while considering his options. Even if he wanted to, he wouldn't risk trying anything as he glanced at the relic again.

"I don't know where you came from, but I would advise you to flee before they arrive here. It wouldn't do you any good to get caught up in a fight that might cost you your live for nothing.", without waiting for a response, the Imperial hurried away as well, leaving Byleth to look back into the distance and upon the approaching army. He couldn't stay, he didn't know enough about the current situation, and neither could he do much on his own. But as he looked at the only direction he had left to go, a quick realization came to his mind.

There was nowhere to go, for the approaching soldiers to the north were not the only ones coming this way, large yellow and golden banners were flying in the wind from where yet another army approached the monastery. Even if he wanted to, he would not be able to pass by without gaining attention on such an open field.

He was effectively trapped between the forces of the Empire, Kingdom and Alliance.

* * *

Edelgard sighed heavily as she looked blankly in front of her, gazing upon the unoccupied seats of the assembly hall for the Black Eagles, their old classroom. Documents lay sprawled upon her table, forgotten as she slowly rose from her seat and towards the entrance, her expression lacking any hint of an emotion while she was inwardly lost in her mind.

The image of all of them sitting together in this room was only a memory by now, for they were no longer a whole unit. There were only a few who were still with her, others who she didn't know where they went after that fateful day. She did not force them to anything, and if they didn't wish to be part of this, then she wouldn't keep them from pursuing a better future for themselves. She could only focus on what lay ahead of her.

So many decisions that had to be made, and so many traps and pitfalls that she only discovered one after another whenever she tried to find a solution. And ironically, the easiest solution was the one that edged closer in her mind with every day that passed. If the people disagreed with her rule in any new conquered area and dared to rise against her, she could slaughter them all. She could destroy anything in her way and not waste a second thought on those who were not smart enough to value their own life.

But as those thoughts wormed themselves into her mind once more, a sharp pain surged through her with the memory of her only friend she held dear so long ago… and the barest hint of a smile threatened to show through her mask as she approached her quarters. If he were only still there, she doubted she would ever consider these thoughts. If he were still there, the increasing pain would disappear… she would never have to go through this darkness alone.

But he wasn't there anymore.

She did not understand, and despite what her former classmates had chosen to do, the loss of him was too much. Whatever may have occupied her in the past, it didn't ever manage to bother her when she talked with him about it. Whatever worry and decision may have plagued her, it always subsided when he encouraged her, despite what anyone else may have thought about it. Their voices became insignificant. Even, even the concept of losing didn't appear as frightening anymore, for she knew that whatever happened, he was still beside her.

And now, all of this came back to her. It pained her, it caused her to fear the unknown. There was no voice anymore that chased away the whispers in her head, trying to bring misery upon her for following her path. He was not there to assure her, to comfort her when her thoughts plagued her for too long. It changed her.

As the door to her quarters closed behind her, her mask cracked, her hand shaking in a rush of anger.

And she _knew _that they were all well aware of this. Taking her sword, she threw it against the nearest table, crushing a pot that previously lay upon it, the fragments now covering the surface and floor. She did not even want to deny it, for there was nothing to deny. She was stripped of the only thing she ever held dear to her, and she wanted it back. She had wanted this for so long. And with every day that passed, the hurt became stronger as she realized that her hopes were diminishing, fading away in the flow of time. With every day, it only became more unlikely.

She striked the table with a fist, more fragments of the broken pot scattering to the floor while cracking the surface in the process. She had already suffered, the world had _no right _to take him from her…!

The anger slowly subsided as she released it, instead being replaced with a feeling of sorrow. She slowly walked to the end of her quarters before she slumped down beside a small bowl, tears welling up in the corner of her eyes, refusing to fall. Her gaze solely resting on the contents of the bowl, she weakly raised her hand to reach for one of the various sweets, grasping one with her fingers. As she held it, her mind taunted her with a dreamy image of them just sitting here, gorging themselves on sweets without a care in the world…

The sweet fell back into the bowl as she dropped it, curling herself together. She didn't care, her quarters were her only place where she could let her tears fall in time and time again, for every day was the same, with the only difference that she felt colder inside with every month passing. Five long years it has been. She had searched high and low for him, and she never found a single trace.

Today would have been the day they had promised to meet once again…

Suddenly a knock on the door caused her to snap out of her thoughts, running a hand over her eyes to wipe the tears away. Annoyance and irritation quickly dwelled up within her as another knock sounded on the door, the interruption only adding to her current frustration. However, upon hearing the familiar voice of Caspar calling out for her from outside, she quickly let her expression go blank again as she concealed any hint of emotional struggle. Blinking her eyes another time, she looked over to the broken pieces on the floor before she decided to approach the door herself. As she opened the door, she stepped outside and closed it behind her again before she turned to look at Caspar with a cool expression.

"I trust it is important.", Caspar regarded her with a small frown upon the blank stare he received, but quickly nodded nonetheless. He knew about her current condition, as did everyone else of their remaining little group. He had tried to get a glimpse into her quarters in that brief moment to see if everything was alright, but as always, Edelgard was not letting anyone know about her worries. Even though they all knew what was ailing her, there was nothing they could do besides continuously offering their support.

But right now, Caspar had all the more reason to confront her with the latest report, for he was filled with determination upon thinking about how to formulate his next words. Edelgard could see the tense expression he was wearing, waiting for him to continue.

"Everyone is in alarm, a large amount of soldiers from both the Kingdom and the Alliance are marching towards the monastery!", Edelgard closed her eyes in consideration, trying to understand their motives. Did they honestly believe they could match the superior numbers of her own forces?

"Edelgard…", she opened her eyes upon realizing that she was yet again lost in thought, having missed anything else.

"One of the soldiers reported that they have also seen a lone figure on the outskirts as well. He was carrying a relic sword.", without another second, her piercing gaze looked back at him with an intensity that caused him to actually blink in surprise. However, it soon turned into excitement upon seeing the glint of hope and liveliness light up in her eyes like never before.

"Assemble every single soldier and order them to take up position at the outskirts, now. I will lead them myself.", without another word, Edelgard went past him, causing him to look after her. Still, just as she took her leave, he could have sworn that the look in her eyes had changed. It almost managed to send a chill down his spine…

* * *

"It's a surprise to see that Dimitri is still alive. I would have never thought this possible if we weren't here.", Claude muttered as he stared out onto the large field that was soon bound to be filled with Imperial soldiers as well. Edelgard would surely not hesitate to assemble her forces. But neither did he count with the sudden appearance of Dimitri, and by the looks of it, he was not even focusing on them as his soldiers were simply moving forward and past their own formation, intent on closing the distance between the Imperials and themselves.

"Have you seen the look on Dimitri's face? I've never seen this much hatred in anyone's eyes before…", Hilda whispered as she stood beside the Alliance leader, the latter humming to himself before he sighed.

"I'm fearing that this hatred will get him into more trouble than before. But maybe if keep our distance, we could assist him in attacking from the other side, even if we're not actual allies. He is not intent on attacking us."

"Hey, do you see this? Isn't that… Byleth?", Claude teared his gaze away from the Kingdom soldiers to follow where Hilda was pointing at, seeing Byleth alone and in the middle of the giant field. He gritted his teeth in disbelief before he calmed himself, forming several new plans in his mind.

"He's alive as well… if we don't act quickly and get him out of there, he will be caught in the middle of the battlefield.", looking back over to Dimitri, he counted out the possibility of him interfering. He was merely intent on attacking the Empire, but if Edelgard were to join the battle…

"Sorry to intrude on your thoughts, but I think now we should worry about our positioning and formation. Edelgard's troops are already moving in, and their numbers are far greater than our own.", Claude suppressed another sigh as he regarded the Imperial troops who were quickly taking up position on the field to dominate and cover most of the area while they were still having the upper hand, making it increasingly difficult to breach their defenses. And yet…

"Hilda, you wouldn't mind taking over the lead of our soldiers while I'm going out to get Byleth, would you?"

"Me? Wha-"

"Good, I never doubted I could count on you!", he winked at her before he ordered a small group of soldiers to gather around him, creating a small strike force to move in quickly and get out just as quick. He wouldn't let this opportunity slide in a lifetime, not when Byleth was standing between the three forces all on his own. The past lay behind them, and perhaps this was the time he had the chance to convince him. Determination flared in his eyes as he muttered to himself, surveying the battlefield.

"After all, this encounter wasn't luck, it was fate."

* * *

As Edelgard stared out onto the large field, her gaze was solely directed onto its center, the opposing forces almost all but forgotten as she got lost within herself. For a long moment, she could not believe her eyes as she saw him, imagining her mind once again playing tricks on her. But there he was, as if time had never left its trace on him… and her hand tightly gripped the hilt of her relic, a single thought obsessing her mind as she spared a last glance at the opposing forces.

Years ago, they fought each other as classmates… but not today.

"Today, I will fight whoever gets in my way of fulfilling my promise…"

As the first Alliance troops gathered around Claude, her mages launched several fireballs into their ranks, creating gaps between them. The soldiers caught in the fire screamed in agony while the others were forced to back away, not able to do anything to help them. Amidst the destruction, Claude moved to the front of his troops as he regarded his fallen people, a grim expression on his face.

"As class reunions go, this one's got to be the worst in history…"

In the distance, Dimitri regarded the fire spreading among Claude's troops before surveying the Imperial troops, long strands of hair covering his face as he faced the ground with closed eyes. However, as he opened them once again, the only emotion reflecting from his eyes was one of pure and utter hatred.

"Kill… every last one of _them_!", raising his relic lance into the air while recklessly charging forward, his knights followed their king with several war cries.

Looking over at Hilda, she gave him a confident nod before he raised his arm in a strong motion, the Alliance soldiers once again gaining the courage to move forward to avenge their fallen soldiers.

Not uttering a word, Edelgard pointed her axe forward, the Imperial army moving ahead as well to engage their enemies. However, Edelgard herself didn't spare a second glance upon Dimitri's troops as she only moved towards the center of the field instead, the main part of her forces covering her from the Kingdom and Alliance soldiers.

Dimitri mercilessly struck anyone who came into his path, killing several Imperials on his own as he solely moved forward to try and reach the Emperor in his rage. But with each Imperial who fell to his wrath, only more of them took their place, keeping him and his knights at bay much to his frustration.

"Stop cowering behind your troops and face me head on!", crushing another soldier beneath him, a whole group of armored Imperials pointed their spears at him to drive him back, causing him to fall back a few paces to regroup with some of his knights.

Claude regarded the scene as he moved forward as well, his archers giving him cover from a distance as the Imperial forces split up to engage his own troops as well. He narrowed his eyes as he counted their numbers. Even though her main forces were occupied with Dimitri's, she was not lacking troops in the slightest to keep his own back as well. He knew very well what she wanted to achieve here, but still… as he saw Dimitri cutting his way through her soldiers, he couldn't help but wonder.

At What Cost was she trying to get to him?

He quickly shook his thoughts away and focused on the Imperials blocking his way, aiming another arrow at one of them who was gaining the upper hand against one of his own soldiers, firing it into his chest. As the Imperial succumbed to the ground, the soldier gave him a nod in gratitude before rejoining with the others to fight in a group. Looking at the current situation of the fight, he saw his opportunity when Hilda assisted him in clearing the way with the main part of their soldiers.

The idea of assisting Dimitri was soon thrown out the window as Claude witnessed first hand that Edelgard's troops were still holding the field in a tight grip, not giving them any chance to break through their ranks. If the battle continued like this…

Things were looking grim for them.

* * *

Byleth fended off the Kingdom soldiers who were cornering him, trying to overwhelm him to get a secure position at the center of the field. All he could do was try to defend himself as he parried another strike from the armored soldier in front of him, struggling to force his opponent back as the continuous assault was tearing on him. A sharp pain surged through his shoulder as a lightning spell shocked him, leaving him vulnerable for the knight to deliver a deadly strike with his lance. Gritting his teeth, he extended his sword into a chain before he used his remaining strength to strike the group of knights with the relic, crimson energy surging through the air and cutting the soldiers clean in the chest, taking the life out of them.

However, Byleth panted heavily as he regarded the blood on his armor, the lance having managed to pierce him on the side. The remaining knights braced themselves again as they moved towards him with their shields raised, pointing their lances forward. Looking back up at them, he forced himself to suppress the pain and focus on the approaching troops once again.

Suddenly a several fireballs struck the group of knights in front of him, the armored soldiers too vulnerable to the magical attack as they were burned, forced to retreat. Turning around swiftly while holding his sword in front of him readily, the Imperial mages coming up from behind merely regarded him for a brief moment before they simply moved past him, pressing their attack on the retreating knights.

Lowering his sword briefly, he noticed that the Imperials were not attacking him at all, instead, they were forming a protective circle around the center to fend off the assaulting troops of both the Kingdom and Alliance. However, the circle was breached at one point when a group of Alliance soldiers managed to break through their line with the help of archers at their back. But before they could get any further, a lightning suddenly struck them from above, scattering them for the rest of the Imperials to finish them, closing the defensive line again with several more soldiers.

As he stared at the sight in front of him, a pair of footsteps suddenly approached him from behind, causing him to turn around. He gasped as he saw Edelgard standing in front of him, taking almost careful steps as she simply stared at him with wide eyes, her hand subconsciously reaching out for him. However, his vision became blurry as the pain became too much to bear, causing him to lose his balance as he fell forward. He could only hear someone calling out for him before he suddenly felt a pair of arms catching him in the fall, his vision turning black entirely as the sounds of clashing steel only became a distant noise.

_"I promised I would be here… nothing will happen to you, I will make sure of it."_

* * *

"They are retreating?", Claude looked after the Imperials as they slowly gave up their positions on the field and moved back towards the confines of the monastery. As he frantically let his gaze wander around, he didn't see a single trace of where Edelgard had gone, and neither did he see Byleth anywhere. He closed his eyes with a deep sigh, his shoulders slumping down ever so slightly. He couldn't get there in time, even though he was close, there were too many of them.

"Hey, practically we've won this fight! This is already more than we anticipated with our previous chances and odds standing against us.", as Hilda tried to give him a cheerful smile, Claude couldn't muster a genuine one in return as he simply stared at the field, taking in the sight of the many soldiers he had lost in this battle. It wasn't truly a victory, while Edelgard had sacrificed a lot of her own troops to keep up the fragil formation at the center, if they hadn't pulled back, there was no telling in who would have won. A dry chuckle escaped him as that thought went through his mind, reminding him of a certain someone who had spoken the exact same words years ago.

"Where is Dimitri?", he looked up again with a sliver of hope appearing in his eyes, trying to form another plan to turn this into their favor until it was ultimately crushed when Hilda spoke up again.

"I saw him retreat after a small group of knights arrived at the field, I'm pretty sure they were from the Church.", Claude heaved another sigh before he ran out of options, looking back at Hilda with a regretful glint in his eyes.

"At least he didn't let his rage be the end of him, this means that we can fight another day. Help me spread the message for everyone to fall back, if we were to attack in our current condition, we wouldn't get anywhere with our numbers. And if you see Ignatz and Raphael, tell them to take some of our troops to build an encampment nearby, we have at least managed to put them onto the defensive for now.", Hilda gave him a wink before she turned to do just that.

"Sure thing!"

Claude took one last glance at the towering building of the monastery that Edelgard had occupied as her main base of operations, regretfully lowering his gaze. Maybe he could have done something different.

Or maybe he was just not meant to be on his side after all.

**While I wasn't that thrilled with the Cindered Shadows dlc, I ever so much enjoy listening to the final boss theme. I hope you enjoyed! **


	13. Fateful Reunion

As Byleth slowly awakened from his slumber, the confusion and sleepiness that were present in his mind shifted into the back of his thoughts as he found it difficult to breath properly. With a growing concern, it felt like a weight was pressing down on his chest with each breath he took. He blinked his eyes a few times to see that the battle that was still raging in front of his mental eye was in reality no longer taking place, instead, he noticed that he was no longer at the field at all. Trying to reach further into his memories, he shifted his focus away from the recent events to look down onto his chest, instinctively reaching out his hand to see what was the cause of the weight.

However, he immediately froze in place with a gasp, retracting his hand immediately.

Edelgard was bending forward from a chair while resting her head on his chest, her hands placed beneath her on the side of the bed. Noticing that she was yet asleep, her calm breathing was in tandem with his own. And despite that, she was still wearing a small smile in her sleep.

Byleth stared at her for a long moment, a feeling of unfamiliarity dwelling within him as he looked down on her. He still could not believe it. He had been gone for five years…? How was that possible…

She had changed, a golden and horned crown was now proudly resting on her head, as well as crimson attire adorned with a grand double headed eagle on its back. From a single glance alone, a sense of authority was surrounding her even now. And yet…

Byleth shifted his gaze away, looking to the ground below. The memories of the battle within the monastery were still present in his mind as if it just happened, and now there was a void filling the blank space in which he had simply been gone. The feeling of emptiness was tearing at him. With slight hesitation, Byleth took a last glance at Edelgard who seemed to be smiling at him even through her sleep. Five long years in which he had simply been gone, and still, he was with her again as if he had never disappeared in the first place. But the void within him remained.

A stir suddenly caught his attention as he shifted his gaze back towards her, however, only for a pair of violet eyes to look back at him in a silent moment. After a brief hesitation, her eyes lit up and he could for the first time see the live within them purely gleaming back at him, causing him to remain silent.

"I see you are already awake…", another moment of silence hang in the air as he gave a slow nod. When her smile suddenly began to falter, Byleth could only watch for a brief second before she pulled him into a hug, embracing him tightly as she buried her head onto his back.

"Byleth… where… what have you been doing all this time…? All this time, I have searched everywhere and never found a trace, but I just _knew _that you were still alive. With every day that passed, I could only watch with guilt how my life became colder…", Byleth followed her movement as she slowly pulled back, his eyes widening upon witnessing the tears that were rolling down her face as she gazed into his eyes.

"Do you know how broken my heart was…? How with each day, I clang to my hope of seeing you again, to have you at my side again… it was the only thing to keep me from stopping. I have never forgotten our promise…", suddenly, the sorrow in her eyes vanished as she smiled at him with joy.

"And now you are here again…", as she looked at him, any thoughts of the war were forced into the back of her mind as she simply allowed herself to be happy this once. Lost in the torrent of emotions that were beginning to dwell within him, Byleth could not find the words to try and comfort her, to say anything in the hopes of chasing the sorrow away. He had never seen her even close to this kind of despair, and the mere thought that he was the cause of all this…?

It crushed him entirely…

As his gaze lingered on the sheets below him, a hand gently moved over his cheek, slowly lifting his head to make him look at her again. The dullness in his eyes was in contrast to the lively glint that appeared in her own eyes, a soft hum escaping her as she placed a hand on his chest, all the while keeping a gentle hold on his cheek.

"You don't need to say anything… I have led everyone to the best of my abilities. It was a difficult path to tread…", despite the remaining smile, Byleth gasped as yet another tear rolled down her cheek before she placed her head back on his chest with her eyes closed.

"Welcome back, Byleth…"

…

Byleth could not close an eye as Edelgard wordlessly rested her head on his chest, remaining on her seat even though it already felt like several hours to him in which he had been here. How long had she been here with him while he was still asleep…?

Edelgard, however, simply held on to him in content, the small voice in the back of her mind plaguing her with the fear of him simply vanishing again if she were to let go. Although Hubert should have already informed the rest of the remaining Black Eagles by now, she wanted to delay their reunion for just a little longer…

However, suddenly a knock came through the door with a more than excited voiced ranging through it. She couldn't suppress a small sigh as she felt Byleth straightening slightly, a feeling of disappointment surging through her. The rational side of her mind reminded her that she could not just keep him all to herself, and in the end, she slowly opened her eyes and lifted her head from his chest. And yet, it didn't mean that the other side of her didn't wanted to do just that…

The voice of Caspar was unmistakable from outside the room as Edelgard gave Byleth a warm smile upon seeing the glint in his eyes, rising from her chair to walk over to the door.

"I believe it's time for a small reunion… everyone is excited to see you once again, Byleth. Your presence is sure to lift their spirits after all that has happened so far.", upon opening the door, four familiar figures entered the room before Edelgard sat back on her seat.

"Well, that's certainly a familiar face.", Hubert was the first to comment, his tone lacking its usual indifference Byleth had remembered.

"Ha, I knew it! Nothing could simply just take you down like that, we all _knew _that you were still alive!", Caspar's voice was filled with excitement while Dorothea looked at Byleth with a joyful and yet somber expression.

"Yes, we all never doubted that you were still out there…", Byleth could see that there was something on her mind, but Ferdinand had already continued.

"We're all glad to see that you're alive and well, Byleth!", upon that, Edelgard nodded in agreement as she looked at Byleth with a smile.

"We have all longed for your presence and to be with us once again, myself included.", just as the words escaped her, however, Caspar shot her a meaningful glance, not bothering to hide his thoughts in any way as he spoke up.

"Come on Edelgard, you must be happier than all of us combined!", Edelgard's eyes widened briefly before she slowly looked to the ground beside her, averting Byleth's gaze. Caspar on the other hand didn't stop there as he looked back at Byleth with a small grin upon witnessing this.

"She took it _really _hard that you were gone.", Byleth shifted his gaze back towards her but Edelgard's eyes were still trained on the floor. And yet, she was still smiling to herself.

"Edelgard tried her hardest to lead us all as best as she could, but after a while it became clear that you were her anchor… she didn't leave your side for a single moment while you were still asleep.", Dorothea closed her eyes with a smile as she recalled her friend's behavior. How long it had been since she had seen Edelgard act in any way similar like this? It was now that Byleth understood Dorothea's double sided expression, yet another warm feeling surging through him as he looked back at Edelgard. Ferdinand remained silent for a moment as he grinned, a thought going through his mind.

"Indeed, it seems the Empire finally has both of its legs again to stand upon.", breaking the former atmosphere with his comment, Dorothea shot him a glare while Ferdinand merely chuckled in response. Surprisingly, Hubert ignored it as he simply observed the scene in front of him.

"I believe it would be more fitting to say that the pegasus has recovered its horn.", Edelgard merely gave Ferdinand an annoyed glance out of the corner of her eye, especially since the others were not subtle themselves about their own comments which all caused her to feel slightly embarrassed…

"If only we wouldn't be missing a part of our group.", Dorothea exclaimed sadly, her expression turning melancholic. However, unbeknownst to Byleth, he was taking in her words in a different meaning as he looked downwards, much to her confusion. Realizing her mistake, Dorothea quickly smiled again in assurance before she spoke up.

"Oh, no no, that's not what I meant. Nothing has happened to them, it is just that some of us have chosen to pursue their own path. I was merely wondering, if they were here right now, I'm sure they would be happy to see you again, Byleth.", her smile grew as she clasped her hands together, imagining their joyful expressions. However, Ferdinand was quick to shatter that image as he almost whispered to himself.

"I bet Linhardt would be-", he was cut off when Dorothea merely covered his mouth forcefully, her eyes closed in annoyance. Hubert decided that it was a fitting moment to turn the conversation somewhere else.

"Indeed, as it is we have managed in all the five years not to lose a single one of our group, however, Linhardt and Bernadetta have chosen to follow their own believes.", Hubert closed his eyes with a slight frown before he continued.

"Needless to say, Lady Edelgard's actions seem to have been a major impact on them. How unfortunate.", his tone carried a hint of irony at the end. Edelgard, on the other hand, suddenly gave him a glare as she turned around.

"Hubert, we have discussed this countless times. Regardless of what they have chosen to do, if they want to pursue a better life for themselves, then I will be the last one to stand in their way. It doesn't change the fact that we are still a group together, no matter if they are here now or not.", Edelgard's demeanor faltered ever so slightly in confusion as everyone stared at her with widened eyes. Dorothea's smile grew as she witnessed this, for her friend was not even aware how her cold self seemed to have changed in a single day…

"Edelgard…", before she could say anything further, Hubert bowed respectfully.

"My apologies, I overstepped my boundaries.", upon that, Edelgard shifted her attention back towards Byleth as he seemingly searched the group for someone.

"Although Petra has not left, she was not able to return here for the occasion since her duties require her full attention in Brigid. Their guaranteed support will prove most useful in the upcoming times.", Hubert took the initiative to explain as he observed Byleth's searching eyes, effectively answering his unasked question. However, the last comment drew him back to the present time, for Byleth needed to know what happened in these past five years.

"What is the current state of the war? I need to know what transpired…", Byleth looked back at Edelgard, however, she was gazing back at him in a way that caused him to feel as though she was looking through him for but a moment.

"So you really were…", her whisper was barely audible, thus, Hubert took the liberty of explaining the current situation.

"With the invasion on Garreg Mach five years ago, the Church was forced to retreat and abandon the monastery after our victory. However, they have seeked shelter within the Kingdom to gather their strength and regroup. King Dimitri was all too willing to accept them into his territory, which means that they can plan their next course of action against us with their assistance. No doubt they will try to retake the monastery once they have gathered enough strength.", Byleth pondered about this, the fact that all the three factions were opposing them together was more than troubling to say the least.

In fact, if an outsider were to describe the situation, one could say that they were fighting alone and against the rest of the world. It would not be totally incorrect…

"However, Claude's leadership has caused the Alliance to fall apart, there are many who would consider joining our cause. On the other hand, he is keeping them together by creating planned incidents and problems to feign neutrality between the houses. Although I give him credit for maintaining his territory, he is walking on thin ice.", as silence reigned for a moment, Edelgard grasped the opportunity to focus everyone's attention on the problem at hand.

"In order words, the war is currently in a deadlock. But with you back on our side, I believe we can finally break through and advance towards our next target. As it is, the Alliance is currently our priority, once it has fallen we can shorten our supply routes and go towards the Kingdom from there.", Edelgard's voice was filled with confidence as she looked back at Byleth, her determination almost being infectious to him. However, Caspar suddenly grinned once again as he glanced towards Byleth, not letting this opportunity go past him.

"Yeah, since we're all united again, it seems the Black Eagle Strike Force has its next target!", a glint appeared in Byleth's eyes as he tilted his head slightly, seeing Edelgard stiffening all of a sudden before she looked at the ground again, her expression having changed in the blink of an eye. Dorothea saw the opportunity herself as she continued from there with a smug grin.

"Oh, you should know that Edelgard had chosen this name for us all those years ago… she had been staying up all night to come up with it.", as her train of thought continued, however, her expression turned slightly somber again.

"Although she has never gotten the chance to share it with you afterwards…", Dorothea muttered ever so quietly, purposefully leaving out the detail that Edelgard had never mentioned the name ever again afterwards. Until now.

"That's quite enough now…", both Dorothea's and Caspar's smile disappeared upon witnessing the change of expression as Edelgard solely stared at the bed sheets, several thoughts coursing through her mind as the memories flashed in front of her eye once again. She heaved a small sigh, dismissing them entirely before she continued with a more serious tone.

"Although we are fighting against the Alliance, we needn't take the entirety of its territory. House Riegan is standing against us, and therefore our target is the aquatic capital, Derdriu. We will be passing through the Great Bridge of Myrddin where the Alliance has built an outpost. We'll take that before we move further into the land.", Byleth listened intently, yet all the while, he was aware that they were inevitably going to fight against the Alliance. Unbeknownst to him, Edelgard glanced at him as he was lost in thought.

"To avoid wasting any more time, we should be moving out as soon as we have gathered the troops. Shall I give out the command?", to Hubert's surprise, Edelgard shook her head before she turned to look at everyone.

"Not yet, I will do so in due time, but there is still something I need to think over.", Hubert looked as though he were to protest but after a brief hesitation, he bowed curtly.

"As you wish, but we shouldn't refrain from taking the initiative while we still can.", Edelgard merely nodded once before she suddenly got up from her seat.

"I'm aware of that, I will let you know once we head out. However, for now I would like you to leave him rest.", Hubert glanced back at Byleth for a brief second before he nodded in acknowledgement, not uttering another word as he left the room. Dorothea gave Byleth a warm smile as she looked back at him another time.

"Please take all the time you need to recover, there would be nothing worse than seeing you get hurt so soon after our reunion.", with that, she took her leave as well.

"That's right, once we're heading out there as a group once again, there will be nothing to stop us!", Caspar raised a fist into the air while Ferdinand gave Byleth a confident grin.

"I wholly agree with that, once we'll have you with us again, I'm sure Edelgard will stop saying her usual lines all over again whenever we are facing difficult odds. _If only Byleth were here, we could break right through their lines-_", Caspar tugged on his arm as he witnessed the cold glare Edelgard gave him, a deadly glint in her eyes.

"Ferdinand…", he quickly held up his hands in defense before he excused himself, Caspar closing the door behind him once they stepped out of the door. Edelgard heaved a long sigh before she looked back at Byleth, witnessing him glancing at the sheets with a small smile.

"I suppose it would be too much of me to ask if I wanted you to forget all they said?", Byleth didn't answer but instead gave her a sincere smile, humming with content. Edelgard suppressed another sigh before she began to smile herself, not being able to resist the urge upon witnessing the rare opportunity of seeing him like that. However, it slowly faded away as she took her seat beside him once again, pondering about her next words carefully.

"I know that it will be inevitable for us to cross blades with both the Alliance and the Kingdom. We were once students learning and growing together side by side, but there is no other way. Some of us are hesitant to fight against them, but with you on our side, things will be different.", she looked back into his eyes as she spoke out the last thing that was plaguing her mind, deciding the ultimate outcome of his allegiance.

"Back then, you chose to protect me at that fateful day… do you still have the same resolve…? Unlike me, you can still run away from all of this, you still have a choice.", Byleth's eyes widened as she uttered the last words.

"Will you stand with me?"

Several moments of silence passed between them as Byleth stared at her in disbelief, but Edelgard was patiently waiting for him to respond, hiding the anxiety and fear that was covering behind her eyes. However, suddenly a gentle hum escaped him before he spoke up, not thinking about his words as he freely spoke from his mind.

"You have once asked me what I would do once we left the monastery. Back then, ever since I have joined you in the monastery, I would have never considered pledging myself to anyone, least of all spending my time with any of you once I was free to leave again. You were all very kind to me, despite me having been here only for such a short time… and yet, you have always shown me what it is like to be with someone, to talk with you, to simply spend time with you, to be… a friend.", Edelgard's hand began to tremble as she listened to his every word, her hopes clinging on to her deeply.

"I won't forget that. I have turned my back on the Church, on the Alliance, the Kingdom… on everyone that is now standing against you, and with it, I have chosen this path as well. I made this decision of my own free will… I will stand with you.", those were the last words that she needed to hear as she once again embraced him with a warm smile as she closed her eyes, the last of her worries finally fading away as she held him.

"I… thank you… no matter how many enemies we should amass, I am determined to see this through to the end. I _will _defeat that false goddess, and I won't rest until I have accomplished my goal…", as her fears melted away, she held him closer ever so slightly. And for once…

… she knew that this was not a dream.


	14. Midnight Assault

Byleth silently walked along the corridor, keeping his expression neutral as an Imperial guard went past him occasionally, almost failing to notice them nod as a greeting. He wondered why they even bothered, he had practically just appeared out of nowhere since the day prior. Did Edelgard have a hand in this…?

Thinking back, a strange sensation surged through him once again. That feeling of being lost and abandoned when he woke up in that field, sometimes, when he would close his eyes and try to let sleep overcome him, he would imagine himself still being on that field, amidst the fighting and the bloodshed. But whenever these dreadful images and memories caused him to wake from whatever bit of sleep he could get, a realization dwelled within him. He wasn't lost, he wasn't abandoned. After all the time that went past, after all the things that have changed, he still wasn't alone.

_'A nightmare? Don't be afraid, you are safe here. It is understandable after what you have been through…'_

He would wake up to see that Edelgard had not left his side, placing her hand reassuringly on his own as she lifted her head slightly from the side of the bed. Regardless how many times Byleth would express his worry of her not getting a proper rest of her own, she would firmly decline with a hardened gaze that reminded him of the times when she would share her believes and plans with him. A look of sheer determination which showed that she would not back down from her decision, no matter what.

Upon reaching his destination atop the Goddess tower, he took a deep breath as he gazed down upon the monastery, the quiet atmosphere helping him in collecting his thoughts before he looked up at the night sky. To know that he was cared for like that comforted him immensely, it allowed him to forget the events more easily. For now, it was more than he could have ever asked for. But that Edelgard would go to such lengths to help him recover… he didn't wanted to keep her from getting enough rest herself. Especially right now.

The more he thought about it, the more he had felt the need to go outside and try to collect himself. He had tried his best not rouse Edelgard from her own sleep when he quietly left her quarters. The last thing he wanted was to place another worry on top of her.

Now that he knew the current situation, he had to prepare himself for what was to come. Years ago, he had made a decision that led him onto this path. The battle at the field was the first insight for him on what had transpired during all this time while he was gone. But his resolve didn't falter in the slightest, for it was his and _his _decision alone that he had made. He would do all he can to make sure that everyone could survive and see the next day. He would not lose anyone else whom he cared about, regardless who stood in his way.

Without wanting to bring back these memories, the thought of his greatest loss caused him to step back from the balcony, taking a few hastened breaths as the image of his father appeared in front of his mental eye. Not again. His father had done everything to protect him and sacrificed his own life for him… he wondered, if they had never met the three house leaders, if they had never come to the monastery, if he had never met Edelgard…

He would now be alone to go on, he wouldn't have a goal of his own to pursue, he would no doubt walk differently through the land. Back then, being on his own had never been a thought he dreaded, but now everything was different. And he _had _a goal now, for as long as Edelgard was fighting to change the world, he would help her as best as he could. Afterwards…

… afterwards, he would go his own way. They had all shown him what it meant to have others on your side, to care for you as a friend. He would be able to continue his life with the knowledge that he had met wonderful people in his life, he didn't need anything else.

Opening his eyes with new resolve, Byleth turned around to take his leave, walking back down the tower with a new thought entering his mind. There was one last thing he needed to see for himself. He made his way through several corridors until he reached a certain destination, entering the familiar looking quarters of his father. It looked exactly the same as the last time he had been here, not a single thing was touched.

As he surveyed the room, taking small steps towards the table in the middle of the room, his eyes fell upon a small diary. Its cover was dusty, but other than that, it was along with the rest of the quarters in good shape. Although Edelgard had occupied most of the former rooms to give them a new purpose for her troops, she hadn't touched the quarters of his father.

Byleth carefully took the small diary into his hands, regarding it for a long moment before he slowly opened it to the first page, all but forgetting about his surroundings as he began to read.

* * *

Claude was not one to make a risky move without having at least a backup plan, but in this case, he had to realize that he was already moving on thin ice and that he wouldn't be able to maintain his current strategy if the Empire were to take the initiative. Their forces were combined, stronger in numbers, and no doubt that her highness was beyond in good spirits. All of this compared to the fragile Alliance he was struggling to keep together…

But that was not what the others should ever hear from him, for he was not going to give up when everyone was counting on him. They would strike first.

"Raphael, is everyone ready to head out?"

"Ready and waiting, they're more determined than ever to strike back! Just tell us and I'll crush these walls myself!", Claude gave a small smile before he sighed, the weight of this decision coming back to him. He was risking a majority of his people for this assault in the hopes of taking back the monastery, and with their previous victory at the fields, he could bolster his troops as much as it was possible with reinforcements from Myrddin. However, if they should fail, he was almost guaranteed to give Edelgard a free entryway into Alliance territory.

Suddenly, he felt a hand gently touching his back, causing him to snap out of his thoughts and back to reality as he saw Hilda stepping beside him.

"You shouldn't worry, we're going to give it our all if it means we can finally strike back for you. Regardless of the outcome, we must try!", she gave him a reassuring smile, gripping her axe tightly. Claude merely looked back at her with widened eyes before a rough clasp on the back followed.

"Damn right she is, they won't know what hit them once we're finished! Ignatz is waiting with the reinforcements once we should need them.", in times like these, he was reminded just how much everyone's support was the strength he needed to keep going. Whenever he saw Edelgard standing on the battlefield, he couldn't help but wonder what lurked behind her eyes. What did she think of her own allies? Over the years, the only thing he had witnessed from her was that she was growing more and more unconcerned about her own troops. He didn't believe that she shared any kind of bond with anyone close to herself compared to the ones he was sharing with his people and friends. That was the difference between them. And he firmly believed that their friendship would be the key to win this struggle, regardless of any odds standing against them.

"Alright, this is it everyone. Raphael, can you signal the others to assemble in their assigned groups? With the dark of the night to cover our approach, we can attack them from multiple sides while you draw their attention in front of the main entrance."

"You got it, I've eaten plenty in preparation!", before Hilda could join in agreement, Claude silenced them both with a serious expression, shifting his gaze between the two of them.

"Promise me both that regardless of any circumstances, if you should find yourself in a situation you cannot win, promise me that you will pull back and retreat. If you were to die here like that, it would hurt us more than if we admitted defeat and retreated to fight another day. Alright?", after a moment of silence, Hilda nodded with a determined grin, followed by Raphael who placed his left gauntlet onto his chest.

"Who would I be to simply leave you alone with your struggles if I were to die? Somebody _has _to watch out for you, after all! You've got my word.", upon hearing her words, it finally felt like a small weight lifted from his shoulders as he let a more confident smile grace his lips.

"Of course, how could I forget. Well then, let's move out as long as the night still covers us. Be careful, both of you.", as Raphael nodded before taking his leave to spread the message, Hilda surprisingly didn't move from her spot, causing the Alliance leader to raise a brow at her. However, the former only looked back at him with an innocent stare.

"What? You didn't think I'd move out there without covering you? You should know me better by now than that.", Claude merely stared at her before he chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Fine then, come with me."

* * *

A sudden and loud knock on the door caused Edelgard to wake from her sleep, her hand instinctively grasping the sheets, however, only to realize that there was nothing beneath them, lacking the presence of a certain someone. Blinking rapidly, Edelgard snapped her head up from the bed, confirming that Byleth was indeed not there anymore. Fear immediately dwelled up within her as she surveyed the entire room, not seeing him anywhere. However, suddenly the door opened and Hubert entered the quarters with distress evident in his expression.

"Your majesty, the monastery is under attack! Claude has gathered his troops to attack the front entrance while using the night as cover. No doubt he is trying to gain an advantage while he still can.", Edelgard's eyes narrowed before she got up from the chair, quickly forming a plan in her mind as she moved past him.

"Send another squadron to the main entrance to intercept them, but focus to reinforce the other entryways as well. He doesn't have the numbers to take on the entirety of our troops, even with the element of surprise on his side. His only chance is to somehow find another way inside."

"Consider it done.", however, before he could take his leave, Edelgard stopped him in his tracks.

"Have you seen Byleth on your way here?", Hubert regarded her for a moment as he thought about it for a moment.

"Yes, I believe I have seen him within the old quarters of our former teacher. Shall I-"

"No, there is no need, I will inform him myself. Focus on spreading the message, we must organize our forces.", Hubert gave a last nod before he took his leave. Edelgard shifted her gaze down the corridor as she left her quarters, her expression turning more worried once she was alone again. She had hoped to refrain from touching this subject, for she couldn't even begin to comprehend how it must have felt for Byleth to lose his father like that. She was trying her hardest to comfort him after he came back to her, but in truth…

Edelgard heaved a long sigh as she slightly hung her head low, facing the ground as she approached the quarters of their former teacher. In truth, she was too overjoyed to see that Byleth was still alive, she didn't think of anything else other than making sure that he would remain at her side. Her intentions were purely selfish in wanting to heal the pain she had endured during all these years, not caring for anything else but to stay with him to make sure that he wouldn't leave ever again…

As these thoughts lingered in her mind, a warm feeling dwelled within her. She would never admit that to the others, but for this once, she allowed herself to be selfish. Her steps alerted Byleth of her presence as she entered the quarters, seeing him searching something within one of the bookshelves before he turned his head to look back at her, halting in his actions. Edelgard watched in curiosity as he quickly stored something in a small pocket before she let the thought go for now, instead, she focused on the matter at hand.

"Byleth, forgive me for pulling you into the fighting so soon after our reunion, but the Alliance is attacking the monastery right as we speak. However, I want you to stay close to me, I will feel more secure in knowing that you are safe in your current condition.", once again, Edelgard thought about her choice of words, however, she still managed to express her wishes. Albeit indirectly…

Byleth nodded before he joined her as they both left the quarters, making their way out of the building. Edelgard, on the other hand, glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes before she spoke her mind.

"Sneaking out of the room was not what I intended by staying with you to make sure that you rest well. I wouldn't have objected in letting you get some fresh air…", Edelgard paused briefly before she looked at him in full.

"... do you feel better?", the change in tone along with the worry reflecting in her eyes caused Byleth to overthink his previous actions, another one of the strange sensations dwelling up within him.

"I do. Thank you…", content with his words, Edelgard gave a small smile in return before she looked ahead again, feeling just a bit more at ease now.

* * *

Hubert merely narrowed his eyes as dark spikes temporarily erupted from the ground, piercing some of the oncoming Alliance soldiers from a smaller entryway who have taken advantage of the many unstable spots within the defensive walls. However, with the main part of their forces still focused on the front entrance, Hubert surveyed the situation before he ordered the remaining soldiers to fall back, realizing that they were at a disadvantage for now.

Narrowly dodging another arrow, Hubert formed another plan in his mind as he charged a Miasma in his hands before launching it against the ceiling, just above from the opposing Alliance forces. While some of them noticed their predicament immediately and retreated, most of them were too late to avoid the falling rocks and rubble that soon buried them beneath.

Hubert smirked as the Imperials moved forward to retake their positions and form a defensive line, a cloud of dust still covering the area. Until a handaxe suddenly caught a soldier off guard, hitting him square in the chest and knocking him to the ground, causing the others to become alert again before the rocks and rubble were blown away from the entrance. While some of the Imperials were unfortunate enough to get hit by the rocks, a sudden and strong gust of wind accompanied the flying rubble before a roar echoed through the air.

Hubert charged another spell in preparation while the Imperials took several steps back, raising their shields to cover themselves. A second roar was the only warning they got before a wyvern suddenly stormed through the entrance, striking a group of soldiers by crushing them from above before following up with a swipe of its tail, sending several more flying. The few Imperial archers who still remained immediately aimed at the beast, and yet, before one of them could actually fire, several arrows charged with energy struck them first, killing them on the spot.

With their numbers severely thinned, the Imperials hesitated in approaching the wyvern as it landed on the ground with yet another roar, Hubert merely giving off a smirk as the rider revealed to be Claude himself. He hadn't witnessed the Alliance leader fighting on top of a wyvern before.

"How interesting…", Hubert surveyed the small group of Alliance soldiers along with Hilda at the lead rushing into the hall, standing behind Claude with their weapons raised.

"Hubert, if you stand down now, we won't have to hurt anyone else.", Claude heaved a sigh as Hubert merely chuckled in response. Hilda, on the other hand, looked back at him with a confused stare.

"Claude, you didn't honestly expect him to do just that, did you? _Him _of all people?", Claude regarded her for a moment before he shrugged, giving her a wink.

"I don't know, I guess you can call it a formality? If they should ask for it afterwards, they can't say I didn't offer it.", the sarcasm was evident in his voice as he looked back at the Black Mage along with the remaining Imperials.

"Your desperate attempt to lead a final push against the monastery was honorable enough, but needless to say, you are going to lose one way or another. Maybe you could have prolonged your defeat for a few weeks, maybe some months, but ultimately, sacrificing most of your troops here will only bring us closer to victory.", Claude remained unfazed as Hubert chuckled again, however, he narrowed his eyes when the Black Mage let the magic subside in his hands.

"It's only a shame that I won't be able to watch you admit defeat this time.", Hubert closed his eyes with a frown before he suddenly disappeared in a crimson light, obeying the order given to him to support their forces at the main entrance. Instead, several more groups of Imperials joined the defense from within the monastery along with Edelgard and Byleth at the front, leading their reinforcements into the hall. Witnessing this, Hilda immediately moved forward along with the rest of the Alliance soldiers to intercept them, creating yet another battlefield around the three of them.

"I should return the sentence. If you surrender here and now, we can avoid unnecessary sacrifices.", Edelgard's expression was cool as she looked at Claude, however, the Alliance leader was merely focusing on Byleth, heaving a sigh upon seeing the determination within his eyes.

"Byleth, you should have joined me instead of Edelgard.", not having originally intended to say it out loud, Edelgard immediately narrowed her eyes as she gripped her sword tighter while Byleth, on the other hand, slightly lowered his relic in surprise. Even more so when Claude lowered his own relic entirely and simply looked at Byleth with an expression he couldn't place.

"You know, now that I can look at you properly, you haven't changed at all during the years. You could almost say that magic preserved you through time, you're certainly as stunning as I remember.", Claude chuckled lightly as he saw the small hint of disbelief in Byleth's eyes. However, the smile on his face subsided as his expression slowly changed back again, a look of genuine sadness and confusion evident in his eyes.

"I know you don't owe me any answers, but I have always wondered ever since that fateful day… what are you seeing within Edelgard? Judging by all the time I have witnessed you interact with others, as well as the other side of you which you're so rarely showing to the outside world, I know that you are not somebody who is striving to change the world with a mountain of corpses as a fountain. What has she ever done to earn your loyalty, to make _you _of all people follow her willingly onto this path? I have always wanted to know that, and I could never find an answer.", Claude didn't take his eyes away from Byleth's for a single moment as he waited for him to choose whether or not to answer.

Although Edelgard was hiding her fear and worry with a mask of irritation, she, too, looked at Byleth with concern reflecting in her eyes while Byleth merely regarded Claude for a long moment with a stern expression. However, it soon changed into one of honesty as he lowered his relic as well, glancing at Edelgard out of the corner of his eyes.

"All those years ago, before I have met any of you, people have never mattered in my eyes. There was only a work to be done, and regardless who it was we had to face, I did so with no allegiance to anyone. Meeting the three of you, as well as coming to the monastery, it made no difference on my perspective. For me, it was only a possibility to grow and learn before I could leave once again.", neither Edelgard nor Claude said anything as they listened to him.

"However, Edelgard was different. Despite my reluctance, she stayed with me and showed me what it meant to have somebody whom you could trust and rely on even outside of the battlefield. And unlike anyone else, I felt understood. I didn't believe her when she meant that we were more similar than we thought. But in time, I came to think otherwise, in many ways. Whether it was the times she would support me, share her views and beliefs with me, or simply be there to enjoy each other's company, I have grown more attached than I would have realized…", Byleth shifted his gaze back towards Claude as he spoke freely from his mind.

"... and she gave me a purpose. For once, I am not fighting for myself, I'm fighting to protect those I care about until we succeed. I have chosen this path out of my own free will, and for as long as she is fighting to change the world for the better, I will support her as best as I can.", Edelgard's eyes widened ever so slightly as a glint appeared within them, a strong sensation dwelling within her. Claude's gaze seemed to look through Byleth for a long moment before he closed his eyes, nodding his head briefly.

"I see… thank you for answering me. Then I was slightly wrong about what I believed, I guess there is _one _bond after all she is sharing with someone. A strong one at that, one that I wished I could have had instead… well then, our paths seem like they are just not meant to be the same.", as he opened his eyes again, he raised his bow and charged an arrow, looking back at Byleth with a sympathetic smile.

"Sorry, but I will take the victory today.", with that, Claude made the first move and let loose the charged arrow. However, much to Byleth's surprise, in the split second he was aiming at him he changed his direction and fired it at Edelgard instead, who was too late to dodge the incoming attack and was forced to endure the damage. Byleth's eyes widened briefly as he moved to assist her, however, much to Claude's own surprise, Edelgard regained her composure without faze as she held her arm in front of Byleth, giving him a small reassuring smile as she held him back before she shifted her gaze towards the Alliance leader. The look in her eyes spoke of the unyielding will within her, something that was merely a concerned glint only mere moments ago.

"This has gone on for long enough, I have given you the chance to surrender. I believe it is time to finish this.", gripping her sword, Edelgard rushed forward before Claude could charge another arrow, swinging the weapon in a precise strike against the wyvern's chest which caused it to jump in pain, disrupting Claude's aim much to Edelgard's advantage. Using the momentum, she delivered another strike across its chest, the creature screeching in agony as it groggily kept itself up within the air. Claude gritted his teeth as his wyvern grunted in pain, not being able to use his weapon in close distance once again along with his wyvern's injuries to slow down its movements.

Hilda witnessed Claude's dangerous position before she struck the Imperial in front of her with renewed vigor, throwing a handaxe towards the Emperor, who in turn moved back to dodge it. Realizing their critical situation as the Imperials already forced his remaining soldiers back, Claude fired another arrow at Edelgard which was swiftly blocked once Byleth took the initiative to support her.

"Hilda, move our people out of here, we've done what we could.", Hilda looked back at him in protest before his previous words came back into her mind and she reluctantly obeyed, signaling their soldiers to retreat before she followed right afterwards, giving Claude cover to get out safely.

As the Imperials moved to give chase, Edelgard ordered them back to assist in driving back the remaining Alliance soldiers at the front gate as well as to cover the insecure second entrypoint. Noticing the concern reflecting in Byleth's eyes as she looked back at him, Edelgard merely smiled in assurance.

For in truth, there were by far other things on her mind as she felt yet again the vigor and strength to carry on until the very end.

* * *

"Byleth, you've missed a party here! After this, they'll think twice about coming back!", Caspar exclaimed as Edelgard and Byleth joined the rest of the group at the main entrance.

"Allow us to clean up this for you, your majesty.", coordinating the soldiers in repairing the damage that was inflicted as well as to give the fallen a proper burial, Hubert took care of the aftermath of the battle. Dorothea looked at the fallen people with unshed tears as she closed her eyes, shaking her head at Caspar's misplaced enthusiasm.

"I will never understand how you can keep your attitude at this gruesome sight…"

"What? Oh, but it had to be done! It was either them or ourselves, right, Byleth?", however, upon receiving no response Caspar shifted his gaze towards him as Byleth seemingly surveyed their little group. Noticing the absence of their last member, Caspar voice his thoughts.

"Has anyone seen Ferdinand?", opening her eyes upon thinking about it a bit further, Dorothea shook her head in surprise as she thought about the last time she had seen him.

"No, now that you mention it, the last time I have seen him was when he entered his quarters. Maybe he didn't even realize what was going on.", Caspar frowned slightly as he pictured Ferdinand merrily sleeping in his bed while they were fighting for their lives until Edelgard interrupted the both of them.

"Now, there is no need to worry about that, I'm certain that he is somewhere helping our troops in the moment. You should both get some rest before we finally move our troops into Alliance territory. With this victory, we have weakened their forces and made it that much easier to cross the Great Bridge of Myrddin. Now it is time for _us _to strike back."

"My thoughts exactly! See, with Byleth on our side, there is nothing we can't handle.", as Caspar took his leave, Dorothea briefly considered commenting on that before she remained silent and followed back into the monastery as well. However, before Byleth could do so as well, a hand suddenly grasped his own which caused him to pause, seeing Edelgard looking back at him.

"Wait, about what you said earlier… thank you. However, I want you to know that it was not just me, you have done more for me than you could ever realize.", Byleth looked at her in confusion as a glint appeared in her eyes.

"If it wasn't for you, I would have never known myself what it means to have somebody at my side to share my burdens with. And with that, I know as well that I don't need anything else to keep moving on despite whatever obstacles we might face, or how many enemies we should amass. I don't know what would have happened to me without you at my side, I might have lost perspective and become a harsh leader with a heart of ice…", as her voice slightly trailed off, she looked down at his hand in her own, thinking about her words carefully before her eyes met his again, seeing the reluctance and uncertainty in his own.

"Whatever happens after the war, know that you are very special to me…", silence reigned as she let go of his hand, her gaze not wavering for a moment. However, Byleth glanced at the ground before he gave a curt nod, for unbeknownst to Edelgard, her words had a whole different impact on him as he was lost in his mind, slowly turning around to take his leave.

**With the current situation, I wish for all of you that you stay safe and that nothing happens. I hope I can lighten the mood a bit with this, perhaps. **


	15. Words to Believe In

Light shone through the halls of the deepest dungeons in Enbarr, a lone figure holding his torch forward as he advanced through the various corridors. As he rounded a corner, two Imperial guards became aware of the approaching figure, stopping him in his tracks.

"Hold it right there! Identify yourself-", the Imperial hesitated as he took a closer look at the person, who in turn merely rolled his eyes.

"I'm Ferdinand von Aegir, and I'm here to see my father.", the two guards exchanged glances before they moved to the side.

"Very well. However, any contact other than from outside the bars is forbidden. You may not enter the cell or give anything to the prisoner.", with that, the Imperial unlocked the door leading towards the underground cells, Ferdinand not wasting any time in moving past the guards. As he went down the stairs and towards the many cells, the glowing torchlight caught the attention of the only prisoner within the dungeons.

Upon witnessing the shuffling within one of the cells, Ferdinand rushed over and halted just in front of the bars, his eyes gazing towards the left side of the cold stone wall where a figure slowly got up from the ground.

"Father, it's me, Ferdinand! I've returned.", the former Prime Minister stared at his son in disbelief for a moment before he hurried towards the iron bars, grasping them tightly.

"Ferdinand…! You must get me out of here…", once Ferdinand could see his father's face within the light, he could see that his eyes were red, his figure having grown more slim over the years as he could see that there was a small food tray on the ground where his father had been resting a mere moment ago. Other than that, there was a single window which was the only source of light in the cell, along with a bed standing in the far end corner. Ferdinand gritted his teeth as the anger returned once again upon seeing the poor conditions his father was forced to live under. But alas, he was powerless to do anything as of now other than to wait for the right opportunity.

"I can't, not right now. The guards are observing the cells closely, but I promise, I will get you out again in due time.", his father's eyes widened in horror and fear as he gripped the bars even tighter, his body shivering in anxiety.

"The Emperor wants me to rot in here for the rest of my days! How much time has already passed, the guards are treating me horrendously, I can't stand this any longer… please help me!", his voice was shivering by now, Ferdinand watching the scared figure of his once proud father with glazed eyes. Having to keep up this charade for so long, being forced to follow her into battle with the knowledge that Edelgard was the sole reason his father was rotting away in this dungeon…!

Ferdinand closed his eyes in frustration as he forced his anger into the back of his mind. He would never be able to follow her, not with what she had done to him.

"I'm powerless right now, but I have made the appropriate contacts to get you out of here soon. Until then, you must wait here for just a bit longer, but I promise I will get you out of here.", Ferdinand kept his voice low as he heard the heavy and metallic steps coming down the stairs, signalling that his time for the visit was over and that he would have to leave now.

He could only see as his father nodded in a shallow manner before his head dropped and faced the ground, the sight tearing at Ferdinand's emotions.

"The time for the visit is over, I must ask you to come with me now.", the voice of the Imperial guard rang out from the entrance of the dungeons, Ferdinand giving his father a last glance before he stepped back from the cell and complied, following the guard back out of the dungeons.

* * *

Edelgard was lost in thought as she stared at the map in front of her, her gaze following the road which was marked upon it. With their successful push towards the Great Bridge of Myrddin, they now had a safe route to take into Alliance territory. Although they were now close to advancing towards the Aquatic Capital, she still had to make sure that there weren't any potential pitfalls along the way. Regardless how close they were to a victory over the Alliance, she wouldn't grow careless, not for a single moment.

However, as Byleth stepped into the room, she shifted her gaze towards him in surprise, a pleasant one that, for she was slowly getting tired of inspecting this map.

"The meeting will start soon.", hearing that, it was definitely not worse than spending all of her time in front of this table. Especially since she preferred those meetings with the rest of the Black Eagles than those with her military generals. But despite that, she felt more at ease now anyway.

"Already? I didn't think that much time passed until now… however, I'm glad that you are here. Your presence lightens my mood a great deal.", she gave him a small smile in honest gratitude. Choosing to use this opportunity, she took the initiative now that he was already here.

"Now that you are already here, how have you been feeling lately?", Byleth shifted his gaze back towards her, the care in her voice evident. It almost reminded him…

"More than well, but seeing you work so tirelessly, I could ask you the same.", she hummed in response, letting her gaze wander towards a small table which stood not far away from him, a small teapot catching her interest. At first glance, it occurred to her that it was probably a foolish idea, but the longer that thought lingered in her mind, it seemed to appear so inviting…

"That is fair enough. By the way, since there is still a little bit of time left until the meeting starts, I was wondering if you would like to share some tea perhaps?", a wave of embarrassment overcame her upon witnessing the surprise and wonder that appeared in his eyes, however, there was still a small sense of pride that lingered in her chest as a weight seemingly lifted from her…

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to take time away from you-", she chuckled lightly, silencing him in the process as he tilted his head slightly.

"No, far from that, I assure you it would be my pleasure. Besides, it has been a long time since we have simply taken the time to idle, hasn't it?", Byleth's eyes widened slightly upon that, the memories of the both of them simply talking about themselves without a care in the world coming back to him. Thinking of it, he was surprised that she remembered, because of the years he had lost, such times felt so far away. He didn't think that she still held on to them after all that happened…

"If that's so, I won't object. But only for a few moments.", Edelgard smiled as she motioned towards one of the chairs before she went to take two cups, filling them with the steaming tea.

"Sit wherever you like.", placing both cups onto the table, she joined him not far on the opposite side, enjoying the serene atmosphere for as long as it would last.

"As I was inspecting our possibilities of moving onward, I couldn't help but wonder. What do you think about Claude?", she regarded him curiously as she raised her cup and took a small sip.

"Despite any odds, he is trying his best to succeed. And even though he might struggle to keep the Alliance together, he still does so while others would have failed a long time ago. It is impressive.", Edelgard closed her eyes while placing the cup back onto the table, a small hum acknowledging his response.

"However, sometimes I wonder what the point of fighting back is when you know that you have already lost. If you know that you stand no chance to succeed, why pick up a sword and fight in the first place? A lot of lives could be spared if they just surrendered.", Byleth regarded her with an unreadable expression as he thought the answer to be obvious.

"I think that despite any odds, you will carry on fighting for what you believe in than to just surrender to your enemy. If anything, being cornered will only motivate them even more so in such a dire situation.", Edelgard thought about his words, but deep down, she had already known that as well. For a brief moment, she had lost perspective. If both the Kingdom or the Alliance, or hence even the Church, stood in front of their doorstep, with their chances of winning the war already gone, she still would never give up. Not for as long as she still had something to fight for. Suddenly, Edelgard looked back at him with a small smile.

"By the way, I want to thank you for the last battle. It is as it has always been, if we work together, our enemies have never stood a chance. It reminds me of our first training session, I believe when it comes down to it, there is nothing to fear regardless of our enemies. Knowing that I have you nearby reassures me a lot.", Byleth was flustered to see that she thought that way, but thinking back upon it, he never had a problem to fight with her, or to be in her company even outside of battle. He would be lying if he said he didn't treasure the times they had spent together years ago, for he never had such a person as a friend, one that could truly understand him. But on the contrary, that was exactly what he was careful about.

He now knew the pain of losing someone he cared about, and he realized that it was much easier to just turn away from such bonds and never allow them to become too close in the first place…

"In truth, the thought of you not being on my side makes me more than jealous.", he was snapped out of his thoughts as he regarded her in surprise, however, she was glancing at the ground. Now that was something he wouldn't have thought, for it stood in complete contrary to what _he _believed. But she still managed to give him that warm feeling…

"You have many abilities that I lack, there have been many times I was jealous of you instead. And as it is, I don't see myself following any of the others, ever.", a soft chuckle escaped her upon that before she looked back at him.

"Truly? Knowing that you feel such things as jealousy as well from time to time makes me glad. I have always regarded you as quite… detached from the rest.", despite the truth in her words, Byleth tried to keep his neutral composure as he replied, but the playfulness in his eyes was evident.

"I am not detached.", at that point, Edelgard was regarding him with an amused and joyful smile.

"Oh, but you are, don't argue. But don't worry, in fact, I have distanced myself from the ordinary world as well.", unknowingly, Byleth slowly forgot about his previous demeanor as they shared that moment of simply idling around for a while, albeit Edelgard couldn't help but feel a little manipulative.

Choosing the right topics with him to share caused him to forget about the meeting and he was willing to stay for as long as she liked.

* * *

As the stars already filled the sky, both Edelgard and Byleth walked down the path towards the dormitory, a plate filled with sweets placed in their hands as Byleth helped her to carry the treats to her quarters, Dorothea and Caspar having taken it upon themselves to prepare something for Edelgard. On the other hand, Ferdinand's continued absence as well as his sudden disappearance from the monastery was something that drew her attention, and she would have to ask Hubert to look into the matter.

"They shouldn't have taken the time to make these for me…", Byleth on the other hand merely smiled slightly as he glanced at her.

"_I_ shouldn't have allowed myself to idle too much and forget about the meeting.", Edelgard couldn't help but smile slightly, knowing that she shouldn't have done so either, but for once, she felt a lot better than she did in a long time.

"Forgetting the time is not something I will allow again, I assure you. But it did manage to take my mind away from the endless planning before, for that, I'm very grateful.", glancing at the plates filled with various sweets again, Byleth regarded her for a moment before he spoke his mind.

"They all care for your well-being as well as you not overworking yourself. You have many friends on your side.", Edelgard returned the gesture as she let his words go through her mind. True enough, she was blessed to have many wonderful people on her side. However, he should know by now that he was different than the rest…

As they reached her quarters, Edelgard opened the door before she noticed Byleth waiting behind her with a questioning look in his eyes.

"Should I place them somewhere on your table?", nodding her head in assurance, she beckoned him inside as she placed her plate beside her bed, choosing to save the treats for another time. However, just as Byleth placed his onto her desk, he couldn't help but notice a parchment that immediately caught his eyes, causing him to freeze as he examined it. As Edelgard turned to see what had managed to pick his interest, her eyes widened in horror before Byleth suddenly found himself staring into her desperate eyes instead as she pushed herself between him and the parchment.

"Ah! I… I recall now that I have some important documents to look over!", Byleth continued to regard her with an unreadable expression, much to her dismay.

"Edelgard, was that…"

"N-no! Just forget what you saw, I need to be alone now, I… want to change my clothes!", Byleth's eyes fell slightly as he looked back at her.

"But I have already seen it."

"Then forget what you saw! That's an order…", after a moment of hesitancy, Byleth nodded and turned to take his leave, however, not without allowing a small smile to grace his lips.

"Thank you for making it…", as he gently closed the door behind him, Edelgard's gaze still lingered on where he had stood a mere moment ago before she slowly looked back at the small drawing which rested on her desk, regarding it for a long while.

She had spent many hours of her free time making it, and it still didn't look anything like him…

* * *

"Your efforts have been useless thus far, how do you plan on turning the table now?", multiple voices and complaints echoed through the room as Claude resisted the urge to cover his ears in mild frustration.

"They have already crossed the Bridge of Myrddin, they are already here! Our numbers alone are nothing compared to theirs! If we don't surrender and join them-", this crossed a line as Claude raised his voice, silencing the many nobles at least temporarily.

"That's enough now, we are by far not defeated yet! They might have entered our territory but it is still not too late to turn the tides. As I have already mentioned, the support of the Almyran troops is secured-"

"Almyran? And how exactly did you manage to convince them to help us? Maybe in exchange for our land should we truly manage to drive the Imperial army back? Your plans and promises only lead to one disaster after another, I say that our best chance is to surrender-", a slam on the table caused the noble to stay silent as Leonie had a look of utter annoyance in her eyes.

"Quit whining! Maybe the reason for your cowardly ways is that yours is the smallest territory in all of the Alliance!", as he was about to protest in anger, Claude silenced them once again as he raised his voice, not breaking eye contact with the irritated noble.

"You should keep in mind that the Empire is not taking any prisoners, especially not those who have the most potential to revoke against them. I'd think about it again if I were you.", shifting his gaze back onto the rest of the residents at the table, Claude made sure to remind everyone of the internal problems which they all shared, for if they didn't manage to stay together despite their eternal debate, then he would force them to in order to form a resistance against the Empire, even if it meant to twist the truth a bit.

"Now if there aren't any other worries or complaints, Almyra has agreed to bolster our own ranks along with some of their most gifted generals. If Nader is a familiar name for all of you, he will be assisting us in defending the Capital along with his best soldiers. Together, we stand a more than favorable chance of winning against the Imperial army, and once we can manage to force them onto the defensive, we will drive them back out of our land once again!", putting more emphasis on the last part, he received many words of agreement despite the small group of nobles who sticked to their believes. However, even their voices were silenced once they began to see that the majority was clinging on to Claude's plan of turning the odds in their favor.

Upon witnessing this, a small weight was lifted from his shoulders since his speech had made an impact on them. If keeping these conflicts alive between them was necessary to pull the Alliance together against the Empire, he would have to do so. And despite the many times he thought back upon his previous assault, he didn't regret it. There were those who disagreed, or maybe despised him within the Alliance, but there were also those who looked up towards him, hoping for guidance and help. And he wouldn't give up upon them for as long as he still had a surprise in his sleeve.

He was grateful when Leonie closed the council for today, the nobles taking their leave one after another while discussing their thoughts and opinions with each other. It was only when they were all gone that he could finally rest more comfortably on his chair, heaving a great sigh. Leonie watched him in sympathy as Claude rubbed his eyes in a tired manner.

"Sometimes I'm wondering how you manage to keep this bunch of idiots together for as long as you do, I would have ripped my hair out a long time ago.", being too tired to keep his voice cheerful, Leonie tensed slightly upon hearing the seriousness and regret in his voice.

"I can't just stop now, regardless what happens, I can only keep smiling, keep marching…"

Leonie only regarded this for a mere moment before she tried to lift his mood, speaking her mind openly to remind him what they were fighting for.

"Remember that it was not us who started this war. If we don't stand up and fight against the Empire and their suppression, then we're basically allowing them to win.", upon that, Claude immediately thought about Dimitri, another sigh escaping him.

"Sometimes I'm worried that Dimitri's rage will cause him to do something foolish, should we really fail to drive them back, then it will only be him and the Archbishop who are left.", with his thoughts lingering on the King of Faerghus, he wondered what was currently going through Dimitri's mind. Aside from his sudden appearance on the fields at the monastery, he hadn't heard anything else from him. Sometimes he would still ponder about what a coincidence it was for the three of them to meet at the field like that.

However, not allowing these thoughts to run deeper than they already did, Claude pushed them to the back of his mind and got up from the chair, intent on getting at least some rest before he would have to attend for the next meeting to discuss the assembling of their troops. He could already imagine certain nobles who would need a little more convincing to lend their troops for the cause… along with the headache that was bound to follow.

**I wanted to mention that we have now reached the 35.000 views mark and I want to thank everyone who is taking their time to read and enjoy the story. And as I said before, stay safe! ^^**


	16. Besieging the Alliance

Byleth struggled against the Alliance soldier in front of him who slowly won the upper hand, his heavy battle axe steadily pushing him back. Realizing that he wouldn't win this way, Byleth purposefully gave in and took a step back before he buried his sword into his chest in a quick stab, using his superior agility to his advantage instead. The soldier succumbed to the ground, one of many who fell against the Imperial army as they continued to push onwards into Daphnel territory.

He didn't notice Edelgard coming up to him from behind until she stopped at his side, not uttering a word as she seemingly inspected him for a moment for any sign of a major injury.

"They are pulling back, we mustn't let Judith escape if we want to take over this territory swiftly and without resistance.", Byleth gave a curt nod before he shifted his attention back onto the retreating Alliance soldiers, surveying them for their leader while the Imperials gave chase.

However, Judith had already taken the initiative, standing at the front of her soldiers together with Raphael and Ignatz to cover the escape of their people, trying to bring as many into safety as possible. But as it was, those who were too far behind were quick to be eliminated by the opposing Imperials, causing Ignatz to watch the continuous cycle of death with an increasing anger burning in his chest. He gripped his bow tighter before Raphael took note of his suppressed feelings, laying a hand onto his shoulder in a comforting manner. But before he could utter a word, Ignatz pulled away in frustration, surprising both him and Judith as the usually calm man was now radiating a strong sense of confidence. The screams of a group of soldiers while they were dispatched by dark mages were the last string before he suddenly rushed ahead, aiming his bow towards one of the opposing mages.

"Ignatz, what are you doing? We can't waste any time-", Raphael watched as his words seemingly went through one ear to the other before Ignatz released the arrow, killing a mage who was about to attack another Alliance soldier. Witnessing this, Ignatz felt a wave of content, he had saved a life, if he acted, he could perhaps save a lot more… he was tired of seeing their people being slaughtered and an increased hatred rose against the Imperial army, along with its Emperor and those who sided with her.

Judith regarded the scene with a frown before she held a hand to her head, multiple thoughts and fears coursing through her mind.

"That boy… he's too young to get himself killed like that! He can't save them all…", her voice being filled with distress as she saw him move further back into the battle, she was only left with two choices. To go back and save him from getting himself killed, or to think rationally and lead her remaining forces into safety, as well as herself, to fight another day. She closed her eyes with a tightened grip on her sword, her mind having already made its choice once she witnessed him charging into the fight.

She would be damned if she just left him to his demise, he still had a full life in front of him.

Not wasting another second, Judith rushed past her retreating troops, leaving behind a very confused Raphael who merely stood rooted in place for a moment before he sighed, knowing all too well that he would have done the same if she didn't. And he would never leave a friend behind either!

…

Edelgard acted immediately as she pushed Byleth out of the way, blocking the incoming arrow with her shield. Realizing what happened, Byleth quickly regained his composure and faced the archer standing a small distance away from them. He recognized him.

Edelgard raised her shield in anticipation as he aimed another arrow into his direction, ready to step in front of Byleth as she regarded the opposing archer with narrowed eyes.

"We cannot place the future of Fodlan into Edelgard's hands. If you are siding with the Empire, then I have no choice but to defeat you!", Byleth witnessed the anger and sadness hiding behind Ignatz's eyes, his arms shaking ever so slightly as he spoke these words. However, he hesitated and slightly lowered his bow, his voice having lost the anger from moments before as he looked at Byleth with obvious confusion.

"It's not too late to do the right thing, look around you, is this really what you want?", Byleth didn't move, his determination not faltering. However, Edelgard had heard enough and spoke up with a strong sense of authority.

"That's enough. It would be a waste if you were to throw away your life here, if you lay down your weapon now, your life will be spared.", Ignatz paid the Emperor no mind as he merely regarded Byleth in disappointment, but before he could utter another word, Edelgard moved to charge at him. Realizing that his hesitation would be his demise, Ignatz moved back until Byleth suddenly shifted his attention away from the archer, extending his relic into a chain. Two figures charged in from behind, intent on moving between Ignatz and Edelgard to stop the approaching Emperor. However, Byleth reacted first and swung the chain forward to create a gap between their opponents and Edelgard, the latter having slowed in her approach before she took a step back. She was thankful for Byleth's help as he stepped beside her, his eyes trained on their new opponents.

"Back off! For as long as I still stand, I will stop you from continuing this bloodshed.", Judith pointed her sword towards the Emperor, the latter merely regarding the hero of Daphnel with indifference.

"Ignatz, you alright? I'll show them strength!", Raphael raised his steel gauntlets and stepped in front of the archer in preparation. Byleth knew that Judith's return was a second chance for them, and they wouldn't stand down either. As both parties opposed each other, Byleth felt a rush of energy surging through his relic while his Crest slowly started to form on his back, the sword starting to glow in a crimson light before he unleashed a flurry of strikes which cut through anything in its path.

The destruction was devastating, marking the victory of the Empire.

* * *

"Losing both the bridge and Daphnel territory was a strong blow, but so is the fact that Byleth is still loyal to Edelgard…", Claude regarded the open sea in front of him with a furrowed brow as he stood at the port of the Aquatic Capital. He had told them that they should run if things got out of control, and now he had lost two of his friends along with Judith's defeat. And just like that his chances of gaining a victory over the Empire were becoming more and more slim…

"So what of it? We'll just beat them up once they arrive here, we're ready to pack a punch!", Claude heaved a sigh as Nader raised a fist into the air.

"Nader, you're really getting onto my nerves right now. Do you have any idea how much the Alliance looks up and adores me?", Nader's expression remained the same as he tried to read the young Alliance leader.

"Are you just going to run home now? Or does that mean-"

"Yes, the plan is a go. We'll be waiting for them once they arrive, I'm counting on your troops to keep the Imperial army occupied.", just like that, the Almyran general let out a chuckle.

"Occupied? Leave it to us, kiddo, we'll crush them in no time. We may not always win, but we never lose!", with that, Nader took his leave to go and organize his forces. Closing his eyes to calm himself down, Claude mentally prepared himself for the battle that was to come.

"There's no holding back this time, let's see what you're made of Byleth."

* * *

Following their victory over Judith and their successful push onwards, Edelgard led her forces towards the Aquatic Capital, Derdriu. As they neared their destination after a long march, Byleth could faintly pick up the scent of salted water. He stopped as well once he noticed that Edelgard was staring into the distance with an empty gaze.

"Is something bothering you?", snapping out of her trance, she mildly shook her head in assurance and looked back at him with a curious gaze.

"Byleth, do you like the sea?", having once again caught him off guard with such a question, he shook his head back at her.

"I never did. It is just… not mine.", Edelgard merely hummed, unbeknownst to him, the edge of her lips curled upwards slightly.

"I see."

Hubert didn't comment on the idle conversation and instead surveyed the city from afar, seeing that it was on lockdown. With the silence that was now hanging in the air, he took the opportunity to speak his mind and remind the two of them of the situation.

"Claude has certainly prepared himself for a fight, there is no telling what kind of schemes he has prepared for us inside. Should we commence our attack?", Edelgard regarded the outer walls before she let her gaze wander towards the port again, two vast ships gaining her attention immediately. More specifically, it was the flag along with the many wyvern riders on board which caused her eyes to widen.

"Are these Almyran soldiers? Now you've done it Claude…", she muttered audibly enough for Byleth to hear her. Analyzing the Almyran troops further, Hubert narrowed his eyes once he spotted their general along with them.

"That's Nader, an Almyran general. We'll have to be cautious, he has earned himself the title of being the Undefeated.", Hubert had a frown on his face, truthfully, Claude had once again managed to pull off one of his schemes. How he did the impossible and recruited Almyran troops was beyond him, but the people were not calling him the Master tactician for nothing. This was not going to be easy.

"Hubert, mobilize the troops and spread the message, we will advance without further hesitation before they have the chance to prepare themselves.", Hubert gave a curt nod and did as she ordered, taking his leave. Edelgard glanced at Byleth out of the corner of her eyes, witnessing the hesitation in his expression.

"We will spare anyone who is willing to lay down their weapon and surrender, this I promise.", much to her dismay, it didn't help in taking away his worries as he continued to gaze at the port in the distance.

"Would you say the same for Claude?", Edelgard heaved a sigh, having expected just that. Truthfully, she wouldn't hesitate to eliminate the Alliance leader, if Claude were to survive, those supporting him would never cease to resist against her. But seeing the look on his face…

She closed her eyes, she couldn't believe that she was actually giving it a second thought. If it were not for him, she would probably never consider it in the first place… she didn't answer and merely remained silent, contemplating it in her mind. Whenever she saw him stare into the distance like that, there was that strange feeling surfacing within her, urging her to do something to take his attention away from it. That feeling was far from pleasant.

"Byleth, Edelgard, are we going in? I can't wait any longer to rush in there!", both of them turned around to see Caspar and Dorothea approaching them from behind, as well as the Imperial forces taking up formation under Hubert's instructions.

"More fighting… I only wish for this to end as soon as possible. I will do my best to heal your wounds if you should find yourself in a dire situation.", Dorothea shifted her gaze towards everyone, white magic flickering to life within her hands. Edelgard nodded in appreciation before she spoke up to boost their morale, this was going to be an important step on their path towards their goal.

"Thank you for your efforts, I will not allow us to fall here. With a victory over the Alliance, we will be one step closer in uniting all of Fodlan. Be careful everyone, Claude will do everything he can to stop us from taking over the city, there is no telling what else he may have planned for us inside. But knowing this, I'm certain we _will _prevail.", seeing everyone nod in agreement, Edelgard received a signal from Hubert that their forces were waiting for her command.

"Then let's move out and strike!"

…

The streets were empty beside the Alliance defenders clashing against the Imperial forces, and apart from the few reinforcements the Alliance received through the other entrance gates, it seemed that Claude was depending entirely on the Almyran support, but that was a huge factor for itself. With each moment that passed, Hubert found it increasingly difficult to maintain the offensive positions as the Alliance soldiers were getting bolstered by several wyvern riders, and they were only getting stronger in numbers. Although they were still having the upper hand, they were counting on both Edelgard and Byleth to forge ahead and defeat the Almyran general to put a stop to the continuous reinforcements while they are still able to.

Until then, Caspar took it upon himself to cut a path forward, giving an example for the Imperial forces who gained a heightened morale upon witnessing the display. But it was cut short when a handaxe suddenly flew past him, barely missing Caspar by an inch.

"Almost got you, I won't miss the next time.", Hilda surprised them with a group of reinforcements, causing Caspar to slow down in his assault to survey the numbers of their opponents. But the hesitation was cut short when both of them had the same idea and charged towards the other with their battle axes at the ready, motivating their troops to do the same.

Hubert regarded the scene with mild annoyance and signalled his sorcerers to concentrate their magic into a combined attack, but he was also interrupted in his endeavors when a strong surge of wind came towards them, forcing them to protect themselves.

"Don't even think about it. This is far from over yet!", Lysithea was standing a small distance away along with a group of mages. Hubert narrowed his eyes at that, clearly annoyed now. Their interruption was merely delaying the inevitable, thus, wasting his time.

"We'll see about that."

…

Byleth narrowed his eyes as Nader deliberately focused on him, trying to separate him from Edelgard.

"That sword of yours… would you care to test it out against the undefeated Nader?", Byleth glanced to the side, seeing Claude attacking Edelgard instead. He was trying to keep them apart to try and take them out while they were on their own. Shifting his attention back towards the Almyran general, Nader's smirk not gaining a single response from him, Byleth would play along and give him what he wanted. He was not going to hold back.

Meanwhile, Edelgard raised her shield and stood her ground as Claude fired a charged arrow towards her, blocking it with small effort.

"Is that all?", Edelgard retained a cool expression as Claude lowered his bow in a tired manner, his wyvern growling beneath as he panted. He had sustained far more than Edelgard thus far, and it became increasingly difficult to ignore the pain in his side as he looked down upon his injury. However, she narrowed her eyes once his gaze started to wander around the area, a glint appearing in his eyes. Before she could react accordingly, Claude guided his wyvern to the side of the port, floating atop of the water before he created large gusts of wind. Caught off guard by the sudden change in movement, Edelgard lost her balance and toppled backwards until the ground suddenly vanished beneath her, her heart starting to race once she realized what was about to happen as her shield fell into the water below.

However, a hand suddenly grabbed her own and pulled her back onto the port, Byleth having acted immediately upon witnessing her situation. Her gratitude was left unspoken as he merely gave her a small smile before he faced the Alliance leader, Claude watching in defeat as he saw Nader's wyvern struggling to keep itself in the air, the Almyran general having sustained several injuries against Byleth.

"Nader, retreat while you can. It's not worth it to throw your life away here.", the general stared at Claude in disbelief, clutching his hand onto his chest as he coughed.

"I'm sorry… kiddo… I've done everything I could…", his wyvern roaring in agony, Nader whirled it around and retreated, leaving Claude to await his demise as he landed back on the port, defeat reflecting in his eyes. However, with the shock having passed, Edelgard was not sharing the same sentiment as she tightened her grip on her sword, only snapping out of it as Byleth laid his hand onto her shoulder, regarding her with worry. She glanced at him in return, his interference being the only thing that kept her from ending the Alliance leader in front of her. Byleth shifted his attention back towards Claude, the latter regarding the two with an empty gaze.

"I guess that's it then… I can't fight you any longer like this. All I ask you is to spare the rest of my soldiers and the lives of my friends.", Byleth glanced back at Edelgard, and he could almost feel the piercing glare that was hiding behind her cool expression.

"We will, however, concerning yourself-", Claude closed his eyes in acknowledgment and lowered his bow entirely, knowing that his own fate was sealed. He didn't regret anything, with the knowledge that his people and friends were going to survive, he accepted that outcome. Several moments of silence passed as Edelgard stepped forward with her sword tightly in her hand, stopping a few paces in front of the Alliance leader who merely bowed his head and faced the ground. She could feel Byleth's gaze on her back as she glanced to the side, and unbeknownst to him, she heaved a small sigh as the eternal debate within her mind came to an end.

She hoped that he appreciated her choice.

"Leave and never return, or else I won't grant you a second chance.", Claude's eyes widened before he looked up and stared at her with an obvious disbelief in his eyes, however, after a small moment of silence, he regained his composure and smiled at both her and Byleth in gratitude.

"I… thank you, your kindness knows no bounds. I promise that one day, I will repay that kindness to you.", with that, he turned his wyvern around and left the port without another word. Even though she was aware of their victory, Edelgard heaved another strong sigh before she turned around to see that Byleth was staring into the distance with a small smile.

Regardless how much her rational side was scolding her for such a foolish decision, she couldn't bring herself to regret it.

* * *

"It seems Lord Arundel has already begun collecting the relics of house Riegan.", this caused Byleth to watch him with confusion which didn't go unnoticed by the black mage at all, with his eyes being trained on him in the first place. However, Edelgard was aware of this fact as well as she glanced at Byleth out of the corner of her eyes, a feeling of uneasiness slowly surfacing within her. She had not yet told him anything about that…

"Be that as it may, for now, he can do as he pleases until we have reached our goal.", Hubert gave a curt bow in acknowledgement. Edelgard had already something in mind concerning her _dear _uncle, now that they were controlling the entirety of the Alliance territory, they were a big step closer in uniting all of Fodlan. This, in turn, allowed her a bit of space to concentrate on other matters as well.

However, as she witnessed Hubert looking back at Byleth's questioning gaze, she quickly interfered before he could explain the situation to him. She would do that herself, she wouldn't conceal any truths from him any longer. But in contrast to her determined thoughts, she was struggling to form the right words in her mind, mingling with the hidden fears within her. What would she do if he didn't take it well…?

"Hubert, I would ask you to leave us alone for now.", seeing her expression, Hubert understood without hesitation and took his leave, however, not without giving Byleth a last glance, causing the latter to look back at Edelgard in expectation once they were alone in the room.

"I believe there is still something I need to tell you. It concerns my uncle, Lord Arundel.", Edelgard didn't hold back and instead decided to face the matter directly. Byleth stayed silent, allowing her to continue knowing that she had his full attention.

"As it is, we are currently working together to destroy the church, but despite our shared intentions, Arundel is keeping a sizeable amount of his own soldiers. His ultimate goal is by far differing from our own, and he is using foul methods to conduct experiments in order to create new weapons. Their technology is far superior to our own, we couldn't hope to craft something even similar from their arsenal.", searching Byleth's eyes for any sign of… something, anything that showed his disgust, he was merely looking back at her with an unreadable expression.

"Then why are we cooperating with him?", that simple question caused a torrent of emotions and unspoken words to surface within her, for she desperately wanted to prove that she didn't view them as her allies, that she never did so in the first place and that she wasn't going to rely on them any longer.

"Believe me that I have distanced myself a long time ago, I view them as nothing more than enemies to myself and those I hold dear. But until we have reached our goal and unite all of Fodlan, it is a necessary evil I have to accept. Their weapons and troops are an important factor in overthrowing the church, we cannot do it with the Empire's might alone…", Byleth regarded her for a long moment, and Edelgard refused to look away as she stared into his eyes, anxiously waiting for his reply. It grew when he suddenly closed his eyes.

"You say that you have distanced yourself from them, that means you have once relied on them far more than now. What was it that changed your attitude? You must have known of their true nature from the very beginning. What is different now?", she could hear the suspicion in his voice, and it pained her. But as he looked back at her once again, a fond memory flashed through her mind.

"It was _your _words that changed my mind. Do you still remember…?", Byleth frowned as he thought back about the conversation they shared years ago, that innocent question she gave him when they were simply… enjoying to idle after the lesson…

"I… do…", a genuine smile graced her lips as she thought back upon these times as well. He may not know it, but it was exactly these times she had longed for while he was gone, and in the end, her wish was granted.

"It is necessary to keep them for now, but once we have united all of Fodlan, I _will _destroy them.", with the memory prior, she also remembered Kronya's attempt to kill his father. She… didn't wanted to bring these painful memories up in front of him, all she wished for him was to heal from the pain of losing his father and that she would always be there if he needed her. It gave her peace knowing that she had done everything in her power to protect Jeralt from her uncle and his minions, she wouldn't ever allow anything to happen to Byleth for as long as she was still alive.

However, Byleth's sudden stare caused her to focus once again, the uneasiness from before returning.

"Is there… anything else you haven't mentioned yet?", unbeknownst to him, there was an internal debate within Edelgard's mind, and her hesitation was almost a silent answer for him. He only wanted to know whether or not she would actually tell him what it was.

"Yes, there is. I want you to know that I am not concealing any truths from you, if there is anything you want to know, you only need to ask me. However, for this, I would prefer if I could show it to you directly once we return to the monastery. Do you trust me on this?", Byleth was not hesitating as he nodded, keeping his curiosity back. He knew that she wasn't lying. Seeing this, Edelgard faced the ground with a small smile.

"I'm sorry, it was a foolish question. You believe in me, just as I believe in you… thank you."

**I'm glad to finally have an own cover art, it's not as detailed as others, but I'm still content. And as always, thanks for reading! I'd also be interested to know if there is a chapter or part you liked the most thus far, so I can orientate myself a bit. I'm very curious! **


	17. Unveiled Truth

Ferdinand was unaware of the pair of eyes that was regarding him closely as he was approached from behind.

"Having returned from your trip, I take it?", he flinched visibly before he turned around, his tired expression quickly turning into one of annoyance as he noticed that it was just Hubert, the dark mage regarding him with a cool expression. There goes his plan of returning to the Monastery without getting found by _him _first.

"Yes I have, now is there anything you needed or can I take a break from my trip?", he grew weary as Hubert narrowed his eyes.

"Why, yes, I believe an explanation for your sudden disappearance would be a fine start. Instead of leaving without a word, your presence would have been useful in her Majesty's service when she needed it.", taking his leave without saying so beforehand was something that worked against him now, but he doubted that Edelgard would have simply allowed him to leave at a time like this.

"I was visiting my father in Enbarr, if I had known that you were in need of my assistance, I would have delayed my plans for a while longer."

"So you admit that you have abandoned your service to Lady Edelgard to visit your father, who is now rightfully locked within the dungeons. I hope I don't have to remind you that his very presence is a threat to her Majesty.", now it was Ferdinand's turn to become enraged, barely suppressing his anger as he narrowed his eyes in return.

"Don't you dare to speak about my father like that, he is still the only family I have left!", Hubert merely hummed in return, closing his eyes in indifference.

"He brought his ruin upon himself, those who are morally rotten deserve no other fate. You would do well to remember that. Now, I have more important matters to attend to than to waste my time.", Ferdinand crossed his arms as Hubert simply moved past him, a huff escaping him before he took his leave as well.

He'll never grow accustomed to him.

* * *

Edelgard was anxiously taking a glance at Byleth, who was patiently waiting behind her after they had entered her room within the monastery. Her mind was filled with several thoughts as she was constantly contemplating the best approach to show him what she had kept hidden from him for a long time. However, what she hadn't been expecting was a sudden knock on the door, which was followed by Hubert entering the room directly afterwards. In fact, unbeknownst to her, an opportunity was about to show itself without her having to come up with something.

"Your Majesty, I bring important news concerning Lord Arundel.", her mind immediately halted in its contemplation and shifted towards the matter at hand, the mere mentioning of her Uncle's name having caught her attention immediately, albeit not in a pleasant way. Far from it.

"It seems he has gathered a sizeable amount of soldiers under his command and is now moving towards Arianrod.", Edelgard blankly stared into the air for a moment, trying to process what she had just heard. The thought of her Uncle making himself useful was already unsettling as it is, but knowing that he would never make his hands dirty without a goal in mind, she wondered what he could gain from this. If she recalled correctly-

"A few days ago, we have received a report that Dimitri has gathered his own forces within the Kingdom capital. With the support of the Church watching over it, he is leading a large part of his troops towards Arianrod as well, no doubt to restore Order before we can make a move of our own.", with that piece of information falling into place, Edelgard understood what her Uncle was aiming for. Hubert took a glance at Byleth before he continued, intent on clarifying it for him as well.

"The leader of the Kingdom's soldiers stationed within the fortress is Cornelia, who also happens to be one of Lord Arundel's allies. Knowing that, he intends to catch Dimitri off guard within his own territory, since Cornelia was already planning to overthrow him sooner or later anyway. It seems Arundel has become rather impatient with the war.", Byleth thought about it for a moment, and regardless from which perspective he viewed the situation, he couldn't find any disadvantage to that. However, that didn't mean that he liked this method at all, but unbeknownst to him, Hubert was having whole other thoughts on this matter as well.

"If he should truly manage to end the war like that, then this would certainly be for our benefit, even if his methods are once again more than cowardly. But with him gone for now, I have another thing in mind that I wanted to take care off for a long time. Hubert, I need you to watch over our troops here within the monastery while I am heading out for a while.", turning his gaze back towards her, the question in his mind was more than obvious.

"If I may ask, what is your intention?", Edelgard glanced at Byleth, who in turn realized that by 'heading out for a while', she was already including him…

"With my Uncle being gone, it is a most fortunate opportunity for me to strike at one of his fortresses that I had my eyes upon for a very long time now.", Edelgard didn't forget the promise she had made to Byleth, and since they would have to travel without their forces to avoid gaining unwanted attention, she would also use this to show him something else…

Surprisingly, Hubert merely regarded the pair for a long moment before he gave a curt nod, not resisting the plan at all. In truth, Edelgard had already prepared herself to justify her idea in every way possible, thus, she waited for Hubert to speak about his concerns… which never happened.

"As you wish, I will be monitoring Arundel's actions closely until you return.", just when Hubert took his leave, Edelgard turned to look at Byleth in bewilderment.

"I'm surprised he didn't object, I had already braced myself for that. I haven't outright mentioned it before, but I would like you to accompany me there. I can't attack my Uncle directly, our forces will have to remain here as well, but if only the two of us head out, we can certainly catch them by surprise."

"Won't they still recognize you? It is hard not to."

"His keep is not guarded by Imperial troops, he has his own personal soldiers watching over it. _Your _presence would not be a problem, but you're right, I won't be going there with my current attire. I promised to show you something, did I not?", Byleth regarded her closely as she retrieved something from a chest, holding it close to herself before she slowly turned around to present it to him.

His eyes widened once he recognized the white and expressionless mask within her hands, painted crimson on its left half. Multiple thoughts and memories flashed through his mind as he gazed upon it, its empty gaze seemingly staring back at him as he could clearly remember its wearer. Edelgard remained silent, allowing him to think about it properly, but soon it became too much for her to bear.

"You remember, don't you? I could never reveal it to you all those years ago… the identity of the Flame Emperor.", she didn't once divert her gaze from him when he looked back at her with an unreadable expression, but every second that passed felt like an eternity to her. However, when he simply turned around and away from her, it felt like a stab into her chest.

"I… I want you to wear it. All of it. I want to see it for myself, I want to see the Flame Emperor and witness who is truly the bearer of this mask.", without waiting or uttering another word, Byleth left the room to wait outside, heaving a deep sigh once the doors closed behind him, leaving Edelgard to stare at the now empty space where he had been standing a mere moment ago. Her gaze slowly dropped down and onto the mask in her hands, feelings of dread and anxiety taking root within her as his words went through her mind over and over again.

Only a short moment passed until Edelgard stepped out of the room with her full disguise, meeting Byleth's gaze with her own. Ever since he had first met the mysterious person that never intended to harm him, protected him and looked after him, he had wondered who was the bearer of said mask. To see that the person responsible was the very same who had become his dearest friend…

Edelgard didn't flinch as he slowly took a step towards her, merely gazing back at him with suppressed anxiety. It was only when he was almost in front of her that she broke the silence.

**"Whenever you were in danger, I was never truly far away. Forgive me for not revealing this to you sooner…"**, even with her voice being distorted, knowing who was behind that mask was still causing it to be so familiar, it didn't make a difference anymore. Before she knew it, Byleth was gently hugging her, words failing him as he felt a warmth in his chest, causing him to act without giving it a second thought. However, Edelgard's former anxiety quickly faded away, removing any doubts that were still lingering in her mind as she slowly returned the embrace. In the heat of the moment, she didn't question their actions either, for she was simply glad that her fears were once again just a bad memory.

* * *

"Why are we attacking this fort specifically?", even though he now knew that he could let himself feel at ease, he still preferred to see Edelgard in her usual appearance.

**"My Uncle is using it to create demonic beasts, which would in turn serve as our weapons should the need arise. I never accepted that and refused to use such methods, however, it didn't stop him from ceasing his vile experiments."**, that was all he needed to hear to become even more determined as the walls of the small fort began to grow closer in the distance. Originally, Edelgard was planning to send the Death Knight here to clear the fort, but now that she was allowed a little bit of room to take the matter into her own hands, she wanted to see these people perish at her own actions.

Byleth, on the other hand, glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes, a small smile appearing on his face as he relished in the memories. And albeit it didn't go unnoticed by the Emperor, she merely kept silent and allowed a small smile upon her lips as well, the mask very efficient in hiding her expression.

"I'm wondering what would have happened if you had revealed your identity to me all those years ago…", Edelgard slightly turned her head to face him.

**"Could you truly say that you would have chosen me still, not knowing what my intentions were?"**, Byleth faced the ground at that, his silence almost answering it for him.

"I… I don't know, I might not have understood then…", Edelgard merely continued to regard him, her smile not visible to him.

**"I don't judge you, nobody in their right mind would follow somebody without knowing of their intentions."**, in the end, he chose to defend her at that fateful day, to turn his back on the rest of the world to stand with her, and that was all that mattered to her. She had no more doubts that he would turn away from her, and thus, she was not bound to follow her chosen path on her own. For that, she would never be able to express her gratitude.

As they neared the fort, Edelgard drew her axe and faced Byleth again, witnessing him preparing himself as well, merely waiting for her command.

**"Be careful, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something were to happen to you."**, giving her a curt nod in acknowledgment, he raised the Sword of the Creator and readied himself.

Under any circumstances, they were going to watch out for each other.

* * *

To say that Dimitri was enraged was an understatement, for the betrayal that he witnessed only managed to fuel the burning hatred within him. He didn't know what the exact reasons were for Cornelia to turn her back on his forces and to stab them in the back when they were least expecting it, but he couldn't care less either. As if it was merely a coincidence, the Imperial army just happened to march towards Arianrod as well, preparing themselves for a frontal assault. Thus, he found himself trapped within the fortress between his former allies as well as the Imperial soldiers closing in from outside.

"Cornelia is cooperating with the Empire, damn her!", Dimitri couldn't contain himself as he mercilessly struck the traitorous mages in his way, cutting a path forward in his rage. Felix only narrowed his eyes at the sight, comparing their supposed 'King' with a wild animal that was out of control.

"Dimitri, you need to calm yourself, we need to pull back and regroup!", Annette's voice fell upon deaf ears, and as long as Dimitri was continuing the fight without issuing another order, so were the remaining Kingdom forces.

"Forget it, nothing's getting through to that boar! I'll go and help him before he gets himself killed, maybe then that idiot will finally listen to reason.", as Felix dashed forward to aid him, Dimitri found himself struggling against one of the enormous constructions that was blocking his way, its armor being too solid for him to simply crush in his wild fury. Witnessing it summoning a golden lance within its hand, Felix hurried in his movements and prepared himself.

"Watch out!", pushing Dimitri out of the way in time, the lance impacted on the ground instead in what could have been a deadly blow. Annette quickly recognized the opportunity and focused her fire magic against its torso, giving the construction the rest before it simply fell apart.

"You fool, you're endangering us all by acting recklessly!", Dimitri grunted in irritation as he slowly got up from the ground, witnessing his troops getting caught between the frontlines as the Imperial soldiers began to join the fight.

"Pull back and regroup, we mustn't get caught between them!", Felix merely heaved a long sigh in relief, at least he finally grasped their situation. But he doubted that their current position was going to change for the better anymore… the very fort that should help them to defend the border against the Imperial army was a trap for themselves, and they walked right into it.

The remaining Kingdom soldiers headed Dimitri's order and began to pull back, forming a single defensive line instead against the incoming Imperial soldiers, as well as their former allies. Unbeknownst to them, Arundel was watching the scene in front of him with pure satisfaction as their resistance began to crumble. It was only going to be a matter of time until they breached it entirely, but as it was, a cornered rat was biting the hardest and so he would be patient.

"About time for you to show up, I was beginning to wonder if I had to deal with it myself.", Arundel merely narrowed his eyes ever so slightly at the voice, but as long as Cornelia was having her uses, there was nothing to be done about it.

"So they have managed to evade my forces and retreat to the eastern gate, haven't they? They are only delaying the inevitable."

"My constructions will make short work out of them, just sit back and watch while they take care of those little pests.", he merely hummed, he was going to take her word on that.

"Your excellency! Enemy reinforcements are heading our way, their flag is bearing the symbol of house Blaiddyd.", the sudden news were more than annoying as Arundel looked into the distance in surprise.

"Blaiddyd? I was not expecting them to find out about their struggle here…", Cornelia watched in irritation as Arundel narrowed his eyes at her, the former merely huffing in irritation.

"I can assure you that I haven't let anyone escape from the fortress ever since they first arrived here, the fault is not with me!", Arundel paid her no mind and shifted his attention back to the Imperial general.

"Then we should hurry and end this quickly, once Dimitri is dead, the Kingdom will fall along with him.", the general gave a curt nod before he left to spread the order. On the other hand, the arrival of reinforcements was a more than welcoming surprise for the other side, the face of Rodrigue managing to calm Dimitri at least slightly as he witnessed the amount of knights from the capital coming to their aid.

"Rodrigue! I'm glad to see that hope hasn't abandoned us, but how did you know we were in trouble?"

"It is all thanks to the Archbishop that we were sent here, she assured us that the Knights of Seiros are watching over the capital for us. I'm glad to see that we have managed to arrive just in time, your Highness.", Felix felt a renewed rush of energy coursing through him as he witnessed that his father was among their reinforcements, and the heightened morale soon began to reach Annette as well. It spread like a wildfire among the knights and soon, Dimitri stood at the front of his forces with pure determination.

"Then let's regroup and drive the Empire out of our land!"

…

"How surprising, they truly managed to push inside the fortress… hurry up and kill the King.", the remaining Imperials were pressured even further at the command as the Kingdom knights began to push them back and onto the defensive, causing Arundel to make his own move forward. To witness the death of Cornelia at the hands of the enemy reinforcements was disappointing enough as it is, and seeing his own troops getting cornered like that was only testing his patience even further. He would have to take matters into his own hands.

It was only once Dimitri witnessed who was commanding the Imperial forces that his hatred once again threatened to overtake him as he pointed his lance against Arundel.

"So you dare to raise your weapon against your own Uncle? You have grown into a savage of a man, just like your father.", Dimitri gritted his teeth as he clenched his relic even tighter.

"You…! It seems you have forgotten that this is still a battlefield, we can exchange words once I have dealt with you!"

Arundel merely narrowed his eyes before he charged a Thoron in his hands, the spell cracking menacingly before it shot through the air, burning Dimitri from within. However, Arundel's satisfaction quickly turned into one of surprise and annoyance once Dimitri shrugged it off and charged forward, striking his lance in a wild swing against his horse, which in turn jumped back in pain.

Cursing him, Dimitri was not done as he used the momentum to strike once again, this time landing a clean cut on its rider who fell to the ground with a grunt. The battle came to an end as Arundel fell, the knights having gained the upper hand with no one giving any orders to the remaining Imperial forces. However, Arundel merely smirked as Dimitri pointed his lance at him, remaining indifferent to the enraged King.

"Tell me! Tell me what has transpired nine years ago, were you involved in it? What did Cornelia... no, what did my stepmother do?"

"You are not qualified to look into the darkness…", Dimitri's arm began to shake as a last chuckle escaped him, the gaze of Arundel still continuing to mock him even after his defeat.

"You and Edelgard continue to fight each other… you're family after all…"


	18. Fighting the Kingdom

Edelgard did not believe her ears as she stared at Hubert in disbelief, however, the latter merely confirmed it once again.

"It is true, I have received confirmation from various contacts that Arundel is no more. I suggest we take this as a drop of joy amongst our struggles.", Edelgard turned to face Byleth with a glint in her eyes.

"True enough, it seems the joy is slowly outweighing our sorrows. Even in the face of so many challenges, we have prevailed until this very day. All that is left now is to take action and move towards the Kingdom to end this war once and for all.", Byleth nodded with a small smile, causing her own to widen slightly.

"Yes, however, it seems that Dimitri is not wasting any time himself. He has gathered all of his forces and moved them towards the Tailtean Plains. It is an outright challenge to you, your Majesty.", seeing the look in his eyes, Edelgard took the time to explain the importance of said place.

"A long time ago, the King of Faerghus and the Emperor of Adrestia clashed against each other on these plains, and in the end, the Kingdom prevailed over the Empire. It seems Dimitri wants to recreate that scene."

"Without a doubt they will be targeting you should you decide to enter the battlefield. Your Majesty, I believe it would be best if you-"

"No, I _will _be joining the fight. I won't hide behind those who are fighting for my sake, and you need my power on the field.", Hubert was about to protest when she glanced him with a stern look, telling him that this was her last word.

"Then at least allow us to protect you accordingly. I will gather our troops in preparation and make the necessary arrangements until you give the order to depart.", Edelgard nodded in appreciation before he took his leave. Heaving a long sigh, she shifted her gaze onto the many documents on her desk while multiple thoughts coursed through her mind. However, just as Byleth excused himself as well and was about to leave, she halted in her motions.

"Wait.", Byleth hesitated before he looked back at her, seeing her facing the ground slightly.

"There are some important matters I wanted to discuss with you, if you would stay for a moment?".

"What is it about? I'm just afraid I won't be of much help concerning-"

"No, this is not just about the upcoming battle. It is… something else, something that I have been thinking about for a while.", she moved towards her desk before she leaned upon it, gazing at the documents below, albeit he _knew _that she wasn't reading them. He hesitated but complied in the end, waiting for her to speak about what was on her mind.

"I was wondering, what are your plans after the end of the war? What will you be doing?", she didn't look up from the documents as she asked that, and Byleth felt the uneasiness starting to dwell within him. He had hoped that she wouldn't ask him that.

"I was planning to continue my life just as it was before. With a world that I know will have a bright future to look forward to, I wanted to leave Fodlan.", it was then when she suddenly tore her gaze away from the desk, staring at him with widened eyes.

"What?", realizing her own sudden change in demeanor, she quickly tried to compose herself before she glanced away, her eyes slowly wandering to the documents again.

"I… I see… well, I… I was just going through a few important positions that I would need to fill after the war. It can be quite hard to find the right people for it…", silence reigned in the room as Edelgard unknowingly began to tremble slightly.

"For example, a personal advisor other than Hubert would be very… beneficial.", her eyes began to wander ever so slightly into his direction.

"I'm sure you will find the right person eventually… if you'll excuse me…", she heaved a long sigh to calm herself as she closed her eyes, her grip on the desk tightening slightly before she stopped him.

"Byleth.", he gasped as she turned around to finally look him in the eyes, a silent plea reflecting from her own.

"Do you really not intend to stay?"

"I don't belong here, I-"

"You belong at _**my **_side, and nowhere else!", the words left her mind without her having the chance to contemplate about them, but she couldn't have cared less in that moment. Byleth regarded her for a long moment, the internal struggle he was having within himself causing him to look away after a while. He just… needed some space to think clearly about it.

Edelgard's eyes fell as he excused himself, she could literally feel the tension radiating from him. After all they have been through together, after everything they have shared with each other and would never do so with anyone else, after it was so clear that their paths were meant to intertwine further…

Was it really… so difficult to accept?

* * *

The rain poured down from the heavens as if it was crying, the Imperial army assembling at the edge of the Tailtean Plains to prepare themselves for the upcoming fight.

"The rain is making it difficult to coordinate an attack.", Edelgard muttered as she tried to see into the distance, but she could not yet make out their enemy.

"If that's so, maybe he will have difficulties to attack along with the Church.", she glanced at Byleth and nodded, glad they were sharing the same thought.

"Although it's still not entirely sure they are supporting their ranks, it is most likely. Even if we don't encounter the knights of Seiros right away, we should be mindful of enemy reinforcements during the fight."

"Pardon the delay, but our forces are now ready to move out. Our scouts have reported that the Kingdom army is still preparing itself, although we have yet to catch sight of the knights of Seiros.", Hubert approached the pair from behind before he gave a small bow.

"It's just as we thought, then. We should use this opportunity to strike before they can successfully mobilize themselves.", looking behind her, she was proud to see that everyone was doing their best to assist their soldiers, although she was especially surprised to witness that Ferdinand seemed to be going through several parts among their ranks to heighten the morale. Now that his sudden disappearance was clarified and they were all united again, she gained the confidence to believe that they simply could not lose.

Almost, at least.

Glancing back at Byleth, she witnessed the determination in his eyes. She had seen that expression several times already, and it always managed to relieve and worry her at the same time.

"Be careful out there, alright? I couldn't bear the thought of losing you here now, we are all going to see this through to the end, understand?", acknowledging her words, he gave her a firm nod. Albeit she smiled for a small moment, it soon faded away when she thought back about their previous conversation again. She couldn't allow herself to be distracted by that, at least not now…

She heaved a small sigh, that was what she told herself, but it was futile. It wouldn't leave her mind and once this was over, she would take care of it. Whether he liked it or not. She missed the conversation between Byleth and Hubert while she was lost in thought, only witnessing the last part as she snapped into attention again.

"... that the King would normally present his arrival and ask for an honorable and fair fight. It seems that Dimitri has distanced himself from that 'honor' very far by now. How regrettable.", Hubert mused with a hum.

"Well then, we shouldn't waste any more time. Signal the troops to get ready, we'll advance without further hesitation.", Hubert gave another small bow in acknowledgment before he turned around and took his leave to spread the order.

"I _will _protect you.", turning her head slightly, she gazed at Byleth for a long moment.

"Don't go dying on me while trying to protect me. And we _will _see this through, this, I promise.", what remained in her mind, however, was the last part.

For his, as well as her own sake.

* * *

Edelgard was growing wary with every second that passed without the Church making an appearance. And although the Kingdom soldiers were desperate, they were slowly but surely winning ground against them in the long run. The quicker they could bring this to an end, the better it would be.

But putting herself into Dimitri's place left Edelgard with an uneasy feeling, as for now, he was solely relying on the hope of winning with his soldiers alone, even without the support of the Church. She couldn't help but wonder what went through his head…

As both Edelgard and Byleth forged ahead to cut a path forward, Byleth was the first one to notice one of their soldiers suddenly collapsing onto the ground seemingly out of nowhere. Following the urge to help, he knelt beside the fallen Imperial who was clutching his chest, surveying him for any injuries. But he didn't sustain any…

"Are you alright?", the soldier turned his head while trembling, trying to push Byleth back much to his confusion. However, it was then that he noticed him carrying something in his hand, something that he couldn't quite identify…

"Y-you need to get away…!", before Byleth could react, Edelgard hat taken notice of the impending danger and pulled him back from behind as black tendrils suddenly started to form around the Imperial. He gasped as the black mass formed into a tremendous beast, which let out an ear piercing roar.

"A demonic beast…", Edelgard diverted her gaze as the same thing transpired not only here, but among their ranks as well. The Imperials began to scatter as a handful of beasts appeared, causing chaos along the battlefield.

"Watch out!", a voice suddenly brought Byleth out of his trance as he noticed the beast raising its arm to crush him. However, dark spikes began to appear from beneath the ground, piercing it in its most vulnerable places. It halted in its movements, much to Edelgard's relief as she pulled him further away from the beast.

"Your Majesty, Byleth, are you alright?", Edelgard turned to see Hubert charging another spell in preparation, eyeing the beast carefully. Without his assistance, it would have ended in a much worse manner, for that, she was thankful.

"Yes, but what is the meaning of this? Did Thales-"

"It is Ferdinand, he has distributed Crest stones among some of our soldiers. It would appear we had a traitor in our midst all along.", Edelgard's expression fell upon hearing this, the meaning of it stinging in her mind. There could have been many reasons for him to dislike her, but she would have never believed such a thing as this without seeing it for herself…

But there was nothing she could do about it for now other than to make sure that their losses were kept to a minimum.

"Do not worry about it, I will take care of this traitorous filth myself and try to restore order among our ranks. I would suggest focusing on King Dimitri instead.", contemplating the best course of action, she glanced at Byleth and agreed with the notion.

Prevailing over the Kingdom army was still their primary goal.

…

Dimitri couldn't understand what was happening among the Empire's ranks as the demonic beasts suddenly began to appear among them. He wouldn't have thought that Edelgard would rely on such methods, he simply couldn't believe it. And the fact that these beasts were hindering both sides didn't fit into the picture as well. Why would Edelgard deploy them if she couldn't even control them?

"It seems it has already begun.", Dimitri shifted his attention to Dedue, the confusion evident in his expression.

"What are you talking about? Did you know about this?", Dedue heaved a sigh before he looked back at his liege.

"It was the Archbishop's plan. She has a contact among the Imperial ranks who has given them Crest stones from our Castle vault. With this, their troops will scatter.", Dimitri couldn't believe these words as he gripped his relic in anger.

"What!? This isn't justice nor honor, it is cowardly!", however, Dedue's expression remained indifferent as he closed his eyes.

"It is our only chance of winning. The Church is preparing a last stance within the Capital should we still fail, and if that happens, I beg of you to retreat. Losing you would tear whatever hope is left away, from all of us.", Dimitri simply stared at his trusted friend while his arms began to tremble. He couldn't believe any of this. This was not what he had wanted…

…

As enduring and strong demonic beasts could be, once Hubert managed to gather and command the Imperial forces, they were just another obstacle to overcome among the battlefield. Much to Ferdinand's dismay, who was surrounded by Imperial forces along with Hubert at the lead.

"Well, I'd say your little trick didn't work out as well as you thought it would.", Ferdinand gritted his teeth as Hubert smirked menacingly, his intentions evident in his eyes.

"If anything, your pets even managed to keep the Kingdom army at bay, so perhaps I should thank you as well. However, I believe we both know what comes next.", having betrayed the trust of the Imperial soldiers, it was clear that they had no intention to leave him alive as well.

"Tell me who you are cooperating with and I will consider sending you to Enbarr to rot alongside with your father instead of disposing of you.", Hubert's eyes narrowed as he charged a spell in his hands, making it clear that he would not repeat himself. However, after a moment of silence, Ferdinand merely huffed, having known the dark mage for far too long to believe him. He had failed in this, and he didn't see any other outcome anymore as he shook his head instead.

"Speak for yourself, I have nothing to tell you.", Hubert merely hummed and closed his eyes for a moment, his smirk widening upon hearing this.

He didn't have a problem with that either.

* * *

"Halt Edelgard, Byleth. I wish to talk to you for a moment.", Edelgard's eyes widened briefly before she glanced towards Byleth, seeing him comply and lower his weapon at the request. She hummed, thinking about protesting for a moment, but he trusted in his words? It was a rare moment to witness the suppressed hate and anger within Dimitri's eyes, but he was doing so in order to allow for this moment to happen.

Albeit hesitantly, she complied as well.

"I don't know what there is to talk about what we could not settle in battle instead, Dimitri."

"I have let my rage control me for far too long now, and before one of us will fall at the hands of the other, I must know… I _need_ to know what you are trying to achieve with these countless sacrifices. I must understand what this new world of yours looks like in your mind. How can you throw so many lives away and call it justice?", truthfully, Edelgard had not expected him to try and understand her motives at this point anymore. But there was nothing holding her back from sharing it, not when she knew that Byleth was believing in her and giving her strength.

"The world I am devoting all my power and life to create is one where I can end the blood stained history of our land, to give the people the possibility to live their life however they see fit and to put an end to the injustice among them."

"How can they live their life in peace ever again after all they had been through in this tormenting war, and even now, you still want to force them back onto the battlefield? This is not the will of the people! Pushing your own ideals onto even only one other person is merely self-righteousness!", Edelgard closed her eyes for a small moment, she now began to see what the world Dimitri was trying to create looked like.

I doubt that a highborn person like you would understand what is driving and motivating the poor. Do you think that everyone is sharing your sentiment, that they would rise up to face the injustice in this world? Do you truly believe that the humans would gather to rise up and fight for justice by themselves? Would an ordinary villager even think about that, if the Church promises him that the belief onto the goddess will bring him a fortunate season? Or would he rather accept it, and live his life believing the lies that are constantly being spread? No, I had to take action and take matters into my own hands. It may be self righteous, but regardless if it is the people or I that is rising up to the world, it is simply not possible to save everyone, let alone to please them. And this is why I'm choosing to follow this path until the very end, on the behalf of those who are out there and cannot do it in my place, and for those that I hold dear myself. I will do everything in my power to improve the lives of everyone who is willing to rise up and use their very own potential. That is only possible if I finally get rid of the nobility, to remove the unbalance among the people and create equality. And so, even if the rest of the world might hate and despise me, I'm going to continue to be fighting for what _**I **_believe is right, and for those that I wish to protect.", at this, she fully turned around to look Byleth in the eyes, causing Dimitri to fall silent.

"I see that we won't be reaching an agreement, but I know now what kind of world you are striving for. I was hoping to avoid it, but you simply leave me no choice. You are the only family I have left, to think that it would end like this. But I won't allow you to continue this bloodshed, El.", her eyes widened upon hearing the nickname from a time long lost to her, and she gripped her axe only tighter.

"Yes, it is pointless to try and reach an agreement. But now I know as well what you are striving for, and it shows how different we really are. Let's settle this once and for all!", with that, Dimitri didn't hesitate to rush forward, meeting Edelgard's relic with his own. However, she was not alone in this fight as Byleth supported her from the side, forcing Dimitri to concentrate on his defensive.

"I will never understand what has driven you to ally yourself with her, but if this is truly how you feel, then I will forever regret having to kill you.", Byleth narrowed his eyes and parried a blow before letting Edelgard drive him back with a swing of her own. It was just like five years ago, when they were simply fighting for the honor of their respective houses. Even back then, they were a pair to be feared, and seeing them fight now…

Dimitri found himself in the same situation as the both of them combined their attacks and finally broke through his defense, a clean cut along his chest interrupting him in his movements before another swing of Edelgard's axe forced him to the ground. He coughed as clutched his chest in pain, blood beginning to trail down his hand.

"It's over Dimitri, you can't fight any longer. Surrender and the lives of your soldiers will be spared, along with your former classmates.", forcing his gaze to meet her own one last time, she could only see the pure hatred that he was holding for her.

"Heh, burn in Hellfires, El."

* * *

"I never knew you were related…", Byleth regarded her with worry reflecting in his eyes as she looked back at him.

"Yes, it was many years ago, before my… time beneath the palace. Due to political complications, my mother was forced to leave the Empire along with me and my Uncle into the Kingdom. It was there where King Lambert fell in love with my mother and married her, and so, Dimitri and I became step siblings.", Edelgard couldn't say that she was fond to leave her home like that, and she knew that her mother desperately wanted to leave as well, but in the end, Dimitri was one of the reasons she hadn't lost her mind during her times of torment. For that, she would always be grateful.

"Maybe in another world, it wouldn't have had to come to this. Regardless of any circumstances, he was still the only family I had left…", Edelgard was gazing towards the heavens as the rain only continued to pour down onto the earth. Byleth stood behind as he regarded the battlefield from atop the small hill, however when his gaze settled upon her, his eyes widened.

"You know, my closest siblings once used to call me by that name… to be reminded of it at a time like this… I guess there is no one left to call me El anymore…"

"Edelgard… are you… crying?", she visibly stiffened before she shook her head in a mild gesture.

"No, that girl from the past that was still crying and hiding is long dead-", she gasped when a hand gently took hold of her own, turning her head, her teary eyes met Byleth's.

"Don't try to hide from your own emotions, just let them out... it is this which makes you human, no?", her eyes widened when he genuinely smiled at her, closing his eyes in content.

She wanted to cry, she wanted to laugh, she wanted to hold him and never let go of his kind hands, hearing all of this from _him _of all people-

Byleth suddenly found himself within her embrace, the Emperor not caring in the slightest as she held him in her arms. That hollow feeling finally ceased to be, she wanted to hide away and hold him forever… she couldn't let him go. Never.

However, unbeknownst to her, Byleth was struggling within himself as she held him, his eyes staring at the ground.

How ironic… that he wasn't following his own words…

* * *

**I want to thank you all again for reading, I hope you enjoyed. I also wanted to mention that this little journey is slowly coming to an end, and it was definitely the most fun to write thus far. **

**As always, stay safe! **


	19. Reaching for a Dream

"Let it be known that we will spare anyone who is willing to lay down their weapons and surrender. This is your last chance to save your lifes and to prevent any further bloodshed that is unnecessary!"

However, even after a long moment of silence, the Emperor's words were left unanswered. Although she was not surprised in the slightest, she had hoped that it would have proven effective anyway. But she doubted that Rhea would let anyone leave like that, not even the citizens, which was bad enough. They would have to make sure to spare them from any harm as best as possible…

Edelgard and Byleth faced the gates towards the Kingdom capital, the Imperial army standing at the outskirts of Fhirdiad as Hubert brought them into formation, waiting for a single command.

"We have come a long way…", Edelgard shifted her gaze towards Byleth before he gave her a nod, allowing a small smile to show on his face.

"Then let's bring this to an end.", Edelgard averted his gaze as he said that, facing the ground while her smile slowly faded away, causing him to regard her with concern. True, they were only one single step away from achieving their goal. And yet, she couldn't bring herself to smile as she recalled their last conversation. She couldn't let these thoughts distract her, not at such a crucial moment, but it didn't mean that they weren't still lingering at the back of her mind.

"Yes… knowing that we'll be facing them together reassures me greatly. We shouldn't hesitate a moment longer.", however, just as she uttered these words, Byleth could see her staring at him intently.

"I promise that I will watch over you, no matter what happens, know that I am eternally grateful that you are with me.", a gasp escaped him before Byleth averted his gaze for a small moment, the warm feeling once again dwelling in his chest. Witnessing this, a glimmer of hope appeared within her eyes as he glanced at her briefly.

"Thank you… for everything.", although it was almost inaudibly, Edelgard caught on to his silent words before a genuine smile graced her lips, giving her strength for the last battle that was yet to come. She would hold on to that until it was finally over, until then, she would have to wait just a little longer…

However, their small moment of comfort was interrupted when Byleth spotted a thick trail of smoke erupting from within the Capital. Edelgard followed his gaze and narrowed her eyes as it began to increase in intensity.

"Rhea is setting the houses ablaze? That is just one more display of her cruelty, the lives of the citizens don't mean anything to her. On my assault onto the Monastery, I have at least allowed the citizens to evacuate.", with their objective having become more difficult than before, Edelgard doubted that they would be able to save too many from the destruction. But as it was, it would be the last time that Rhea was allowed to do as she pleased. They would finally put an end to her tyranny.

Together.

* * *

Through the burning heat and flames, the Imperial army, along with the remaining Black Eagles fought to the end, knowing that nothing would stop them anymore from putting an end to the war. And with that determination, the soldiers cheered even through the flames as they engaged the remaining Kingdom forces.

"Take this!", Caspar crushed the ground with a strike of his axe, the wyvern rider in front of him barely dodging out of the way.

"Father, be careful!", suddenly a blast of wind knocked Caspar off his feet, making him vulnerable for a follow up attack from his opponent. However, an eruption of fire created a gap between them before Seteth could use the opportunity to his advantage. Looking behind himself as he slowly got up from the ground, Caspar could see that Dorothea was charging another spell in her hand while regarding him for any signs of injuries.

"Flayn, you shouldn't be here, it is not safe anymore! Please, I beg of you, retreat while you still can!", although every word pierced her in her heart, she disobeyed her father as she took up position beside Seteth.

"It is either we leave together, or I will die here with you!", a gasp escaped him once he witnessed the stern determination within her eyes, holding true to her word. He couldn't leave Rhea behind… but how could he ever stay knowing that Flayn could be killed at any time on the battlefield?

And in that brief moment, he couldn't help but wonder… would Rhea even care if it ever came to that? Would she ever be the same again, after having witnessed the madness around them himself…?

He gritted his teeth as he spared the former students a last glance.

"Flayn, get up on my wyvern.", she turned back to her father with confusion evident in her eyes, but before she could say anything else, he gently lifted her off the ground and settled her behind himself before he turned the winged beast around.

"Father, where are we going? We can't-"

"We'll go somewhere where we won't ever have to be afraid of something like this ever again, I promise. But I couldn't ever bear to lose you here, Flayn.", he gently squeezed her hand in reassurance before they fled away from the chaos and bloodshed that was still continuing below.

And he prayed for forgiveness for being selfish just this once.

* * *

Their mere presence fueled the burning hatred of the Immaculate One as she towered in front of Edelgard and Byleth, her roar piercing the very air as the pair panted heavily in exhaustion. Rhea fluttered her wings in a futile attempt to stand on her hind legs until she briefly faced the ground, her pained breathing echoing in the area.

**"I will rip your heart out… give her back…!"**, her draconic gaze seemingly pierced through Byleth as she spoke, but he merely narrowed his eyes before Edelgard defended him.

"No matter what you are throwing at us, we will endure and reach out for each other! Rhea, your reign of tyranny ends here.", rage clouded her mind once again as the Immaculate One slowly opened her maw in a deep breath, collecting whatever strength remained within her to crush those who opposed her. To think… that she had once believed him to be her salvation… a friend…

Edelgard shifted her gaze towards Byleth, eyes searching for confirmation as he gave her a firm nod in return, the determination within his eyes being the only answer she would need before she tightened her grip on her relic.

"Let's end this, once and for all!", Rhea screamed in a roar as she released the combined energy she had collected moments prior, the beam of destruction merely missing the pair by an inch as they dodged to the side before continuing their charge towards the dragon. Seeing the destruction she had caused, the lives she had thrown away, and the devastation with which she had once taken the thing that was most precious in his life… Byleth gritted his teeth as he jumped high into the air along with Edelgard, their respective relics glowing in a bright light before they connected with the dragon hide beneath.

Rhea was knocked backwards as the two of them removed their weapons from her head, resulting in pained gasps as dark green blood began to trickle down her scales, the darkened sky being the only thing she could still witness until the Immaculate One lost the strength to keep standing. Her body became limb as her eyes slowly closed, the last spark of life fading away along with her long buried hopes and wishes.

Edelgard remained vigilant as she observed the fallen dragon, only hesitantly lowering her weapon while trying to assure herself of their victory.

"Is it… is it really over?", not allowing any false hopes to sprout, Edelgard shifted her gaze towards Byleth before she suddenly witnessed his pained expression as he held a hand onto his chest.

She rushed to his side immediately as he collapsed onto the ground, catching him in his fall before she gently turned his body towards her. Byleth remained motionless within her arms as she held him, feelings of dread overcoming her entirely. Leaning her head down onto his chest to hear for any sign of his heart, her eyes widened in utter horror.

Images flashed through her mind as she held him tightly, tears forming at the corner of her eyes as she stared at his motionless form.

…

_The blast hit its mark as she reached out her hand towards him, the destruction engulfing Byleth along with Jeralt. _

_"Byleth!" _

_Her scream was left unheard as the crimson light took her away, bringing her away and into safety while shielding her from the devastating attack. _

…

She had promised to keep him with her for as long as she still lived, to protect him, to never let such a thing happen to him ever again. And now… he was… dead? Within her arms, under her own eyes…

She gently placed her hand onto his cheek while shaking him slightly, the disbelief refusing to stand down as a sob escaped her, holding him even closer against her as tears began to fall onto his face.

She sobbed uncontrollably, her body trembling while any spark of joy faded away within her.

Until she suddenly heard something.

Placing her head onto his chest once more, the slow but steady heartbeats were unmistakable before her eyes began to glimmer once again. He had not left… he was still…

"Byleth… you…", her hands started to shake before she buried her head onto his back, the words dying in her throat as she cried freely, not caring in the slightest anymore as she allowed her tears to fall. Unbeknownst to her, Byleth slowly opened his eyes once more to witness the Emperor holding him tightly while crying against his back, her head buried in his neck.

And for the first time, he felt like a weight had been lifted from him.


	20. Time to say Goodbye

A sweet smile adorned her face as Edelgard walked along the small corridor within the Monastery, her gaze directed upon the small object within her hands before she clasped it tightly, holding it close to her. With no guards nearby, as she had instructed, her heart was beating quicker than it had ever before as she neared her destination at the end of the hallway. After all this time, they had finally reached their goal… and she wanted nothing more than to see it through with Byleth. And this is why she braced herself, for there was one last thing that was still left unspoken, untouched by the both of them, and yet, she had longed to share it with him ever since he returned to her.

But despite her joy, there was still a major part of her that was filled with anxiety, filled with dreadful thoughts that would plague her eternally until she had his response. And so, she banished them for just this moment as she slowly opened the door towards his quarters.

However, as she stepped inside and surveyed the room, her eyes fell upon his bed before they widened in utter horror.

He was… gone.

The dread resurfaced immediately as her gaze fell upon the table beside the now empty bed. There it was, the Sword of the Creator was neatly placed on top of it, but its master was nowhere to be found.

Without wasting another second, Edelgard rushed out of the room and made her way out into the open, the night having already taken over the sky. Running past any guards and soldiers she encountered along the way, who bowed at her presence, she didn't acknowledge them in any way as she had only one destination in her mind, the front entrance towards the Monastery already coming into view. He was not just going to leave like that.

She wouldn't let him.

* * *

"Byleth!", the former mercenary snapped out of his thoughts once he heard the quickened steps approaching him from behind, even though he was already standing at the outskirts of the Monastery. He could almost feel her eyes upon him as he simply stood there, closing his eyes in regret. He was hoping that he wouldn't meet her like this…

There was only a brief pause until she slowly stepped closer towards him, her eyes burning with emotions that were begging to be released. And yet, most of all, it was exactly that which he was fearing to see.

"Look at me.", her tone was neither forceful nor cold, but instead, it was as if she could touch his very being with her words alone, an unexplainable urge causing him- no, forcing him to do just that. As their eyes met, Byleth could not tear his gaze away from her own.

"You… you shouldn't have followed me.", he tensed as Edelgard took another tentative step towards him, and yet, he found himself frozen in place.

"No, I refuse to let it end like this. I won't allow you to leave without telling me why you don't want to stay… I cannot. Did you really believe that after all this, I would have just let you go? Even if I would have had to search the entire land for you, I would have done so.", taking another step, her eyes were full with the meaning of words that were yet unspoken, begging to be seen by the one they were meant for.

"Why? Why would you leave it all behind now…?", she unknowingly began to struggle to control her emotional turmoil as the words seemingly left her without thought.

"You are gifted to be in the presence of many who have the talent and potential you are looking for, my place is not here-"

"Yes it is! Don't you see? True, there are many talented and gifted people out there, but none of them are you, and nobody could even hope to ever replace you. Is it not obvious… that it is not your talent that I seek from you…?", her voice began to break as she was now merely an inch from him apart, a gasp escaping him as her hand slowly rested just above where his heart was.

"It is yourself. That kind and innocent person that I have come to know over so many years, one who doesn't show his abilities openly, one who only reveals his true personality to those he truly cares about… it doesn't matter how many people are out there, I would never trade anything in the world for my bond with you. We have created this new world together, with every struggle, every obstacle, every opponent we have faced... but seeing it without you, it would hold no value to me anymore.", with every word, Byleth struggled to resist against it, trying to convince himself that it would be better if he would leave for good. However, it was just as if she could read his every thought as she slowly continued.

"I want to be with you and you only, just as I did before, now, and forever.", Edelgard didn't once avert her eyes from his own as she raised her hand to his chest to reveal the glimmering object within.

"Byleth, will you marry me? To be with me and me only until the end of our days?"

Silence reigned as Edelgard wordlessly gazed into his eyes with everything that she could muster, clinging desperately onto her hope until he would either make her dream come true or crush them forever.

Time had seemingly stopped as Byleth regarded the golden ring within her hands, a crimson ruby adorning it on the front. There were so many others in this world, so many that would be worthy of her affection, and yet… she wanted him. He would have never believed…

Edelgard nearly trembled as Byleth closed his eyes, fear and despair gripping her entirely before a tear suddenly rolled down his cheek, several more following it in its stead until a smile began to form on his lips.

"Yes, if that is truly what you want, then I would love nothing more than that.", her eyes slowly began to widen before every worry and fear simply dissipated from within her, leaving nothing more than the pure joy that was starting to fill her eyes.

"Yes, yes of course…!", a pair of arms suddenly embraced Byleth as Edelgard held him lovingly, letting his tears fall onto her while simultaneously allowing her own to roll down her cheek. As time once again seemed lost to the pair, Byleth let every single emotion within him go free as he whispered the last words from the bottom of his heart.

"I love you… El"

* * *

**It seems I have forgotten to add a small part in the title. "or not" **

**It was actually a single chapter with the one before but I decided to cut them, since the two parts didn't fit together. **

**Once again, I thank everyone for having stayed and read until the very end, and especially those who have supported me along the way, be it with a follow, favorite, or review. However, with this story having come to an end, there are still a few loose ideas in my head revolving around the two that I will probably post in a few one-shots in a while, but I will do so separately from this story. **

**And with that, I hope you enjoyed!**


	21. Wings of the Hegemon

**I just had to, no excuses.**

* * *

_Flames consumed the environment around them, swords clashing against each other as the two opponents locked eyes, neither of them willing to succumb. _

_And yet… _

_Byleth began to struggle, opening an opportunity for Edelgard to push him back before she swiftly disarmed him. Wounded and exhausted, Byleth shakily held a hand against his stomach, kneeling on the ground with pain evident in his eyes. _

_The Emperor stood victoriously in front of him, her sword pointing down at Byleth as she gazed at him with glistening eyes, the latter refusing to look back as he struggled to catch his breath. _

_But regardless how long he waited for her to simply take his life… _

… _it never happened. _

_Suddenly, a sword clattered onto the ground, causing him to finally look up at his former opponent with widened eyes. _

_Falling onto her knees with teary eyes, Edelgard let her arms merely hang loose on her sides as she gazed at him with a torrent of emotions, begging to be seen. _

_"Why… why didn't you come with me…?"_

_"You swore to destroy the goddess and her minion… didn't you…? Where is that resolve now…", Edelgard didn't once divert her eyes from his own as her mask began to fall apart, no longer able to contain her most secret of wishes. _

_"I don't care if the goddess has gifted you her power! Our time together, these times that I will cherish my whole life, wasn't it worth more than anything else? It didn't matter to me if you were connected to the goddess…", her voice broke before a tear slowly rolled down her cheek, causing him to narrow his eyes. _

_"I wanted… to walk with you…"_

…

Edelgard awoke with a gasp, breathing frantically as she desperately tried to shake off the images that had tormented her. Realizing that it was only a dream, a long sigh escaped her before she slowly managed to calm herself.

And yet, in a current of emotions, the dreadful images returned in front of her mental eye, causing her to shiver as she gripped the bedsheets more tightly. Instinctively turning her head to gaze at the one she feared was not there anymore, her expression softened upon witnessing Byleth's peaceful face, innocently sleeping with a small smile adorning his lips.

Tentatively reaching out her hand, she gently intertwined her fingers with his own to which he unknowingly heaved a joyful sigh. Shifting her gaze downwards, she saw that he held her hand, along with her ring, close to his heart.

With a tender smile of her own growing upon her lips, she shifted closer towards him, slowly cupping his cheek with her left hand before she stroked it, their faces only inches apart as she placed her forehead on his own, gazing longingly at his sleeping expression.

And with it, those dreadful images slowly faded away, his presence reminding her that there was nothing to fear anymore. He was with her, and he wouldn't leave ever again…

Her eyes glistening as the moonlight shone down upon them from outside, her feelings grew only stronger with each moment that passed, leaving her with a longing to show him that they were bound by fate, and that they always had been…

_I look to you_

_Like a red rose_

_Seeking the sun_

_No matter where it goes_

_I long to stay_

_Where the light dwells_

_To guard against the cold_

_That I know so well_

The words left her without thinking as she whispered them, intent on desperately trying to voice her feelings, even if he might not hear them. Shifting closer ever so slightly, her nose gently brushed against his own, her hand slowly trailing down upon his chin before she lidded her eyes.

_My dearest wish_

_Is that you'll know_

_These tender thoughts_

_That only seem to grow_

_They are as snow, _

_Melting away_

_Yet seeking your warmth_

_If only for a day_

And with that, she carefully connected their lips, showing him what a thousand words couldn't have shown. She only reluctantly pulled back, but upon looking back at him, her joyful smile only grew and she cuddled against him, whispering into his ear.

_"I love you, Byleth… don't… ever leave…"_


End file.
